Date:         Tue, 11 Apr 95 17:35:54 -0500
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         "Herb Harmison" <herb@maroon.tc.umn.edu>
Subject:      90 Vanagon Carb Icing

"Carb Icing" on a 90 Vanagon

Joel requested that I explain the problem. At about 30K miles while driving on 
the interstate the van began to miss and continued to lose power until it was 
not able to make over 25-30mph. The weather was cool, 30F and it was raining. 

About the only thing I could figure was that there was something like carb icing
going on in an injected engine. I pulled off and waited about 3 minutes and 
started up and the engine ran fine for about 40 miles and then the same problem.
Stop and wait and then OK again!

Having driven old vans with carbs and had icing as well as old cars with the 
same problem, I was really stumped. (I assume you folks in California understand
carb icing.)

A week later on my 215 mile run home with about the same weather conditions, the
same thing happened. 

Checked with the local dealer without success.

Having made the acquaintance of the regional service rep at the local car show, 
I called him and he told me they knew about the problem and had worked over a 
year to find the solution and that it nearly drove them crazy. Turned out it has
something to do with the engine wiring. There was a small change in the 
resistance of a circuit with certain ambient weather conditions and that screwed
up the engine.

My son, a Ford engineer, suggests they used cheap contact materials somewhere 
that corroded and got wet.

Anyway, VW was happy to replace the entire harness at no charge. They did it 
under the pollution law that requires good exhaust up to 50k. The car has run 
beautifully since.

Herb

Herb Harmison
Director IT Placement
50 Lind Hall
207 Church St. SE
Minneapolis, MN  55455
612-625-8869 Phone
612-626-0261 Fax


Herb Harmison
Director IT Placement
50 Lind Hall
207 Church St. SE
Minneapolis, MN  55455
612-625-8869 Phone
612-626-0261 Fax