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Date:         Sat, 9 Dec 1995 17:28:56 PST
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Berry Kercheval <kerch@parc.xerox.com>
Subject:      '84 Wasserboxer won't start -- update

Last weekend I posted a message asking for help getting my '84 GL to start.  
It was odd -- everything seemed OK.  Fuel pump relay voltage OK, injectors 
injecting, spark sparking, air filter clear, it just wouldn't run.


Many folks sent me suggestions, most of which I checked out.  One of the very 
good ones suggested measuring the system voltage at the alternator.  He (sorry 
can't remember name right now -- I will acknowledge everyone when this gets 
resolved) said *his* 84 (or maybe 85) wouldn't run with less than 10.75 Volts. 
 I measured, Alene cranked and AHA!!  9.5 volts.


I cleaned the ground connections, on both the wire connecting the transmission 
to the frame and the battery ground wire.  The battery ground had PAINT under 
it.  I sanded it off and made sure it was connecting to bare metal.


Then I got 10.5 volts.  I put the battery on the charger for a couple of hours 
and got 11.5 volts.  The nice FLAPS fellow last week **LIED** when he said my 
new battery  was fully charged.


Well, maybe he didn't knowlingly lie to me but he was wrong.


So, it's cranking and I noticed raw gas in the tailpipe.  Alene suggested it's 
flooded and asks how you unflood a fuel injected car anyway?  I tried  
unplugging the fule pump relay harness connector and had Alene crank and THE 
DARN THING STARTED!  I plugged the connector back in and it DIED!


We did this again, but this time we let the car die from lack of fuel, and 
tried pugging it all back together.  It won't run for more than 20 seconds, 
and then dies.


I've put the battery back on the charger to restore the lost amps from all the 
cranking, and I'm going to let the fuel in the system evaporate overnight, but 
my plaintive question is,


WHY does the thing run when I unplug the fuel pump and die when I plug it back 
in?  Is the intake manifold awash in too much gas?  Is it likely to be OK in 
the morning?


Sigh.  Vanagons: can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em.


  --berry


--
Berry Kercheval :: kerch@parc.xerox.com :: Xerox Palo Alto Research Center
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