Date:         Tue, 12 Dec 1995 10:29:40 +0000
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         "Ed Vala" <arqxeva@dow.on.doe.ca>
Subject:      Re: '87 goofy idle

Sun, 10 Dec 1995 00:37:28 -0600

Brad Snyder wrote:


> Hi all! I have been lurking in this list ever since I tried to sell
> my '77 bus and was referred here quite a while ago. I haven't posted
> because the mail program on the server where I work is the pits. Now
> I am running the Pegasus Mail program at home, so I hope to be more
> active. I still have the '77 and would like to restore it sometime,
> but anyway I want to talk about the '87 Vanagon.
> 
> I don't always have time to read every message, but I -always- read 
> any that has a subject about leaking heads or fast idle! Of course, 
> my Vanagon needed the heads at about 60K miles. I did the job myself 
> (replaced heads and gaskets - both sides) and the van is still going 
> strong at over 122K miles with no signs of leaks. (yet). 
> 
> About the idle. I priced the idle stabilizer at a local dealer and it 
> was close to $300.00. Incredible. Per some advice I saw here, I pried 
> open my stabilizer to make sure it was not blocked or anything. After 
> thoroughly cleaning it and reassembling it, the van acted just the 
> same, idling around 3,000 rpm. If I unplugged the stabilizer while the 
> engine was running the idle would drop right down to under 750 rpm. 
> Hmmmmm, some black box is telling the engine to idle this fast. I 
> checked the throttle switch and it was OK. I rang out all the wires 
> from the vital parts of the fuel injection to the black boxes. In 
> desperation I opened up the idle control black box (in front of the 
> right tail light) and saw some questionable solder connections. I 
> went over them all with a soldering iron and some fine solder, and 
> the fast idle has not reappeared after several weeks!!
> 
> I have seen it mentioned that there may be some bad connections in 
> the main FI computer box, but I haven't seen it mentioned for the 
> idle control box, so I thought that maybe this would help someone.
> 
> Later. . .. .  .Brad
> 
>

>In desperation I opened up the idle control black box (in front of the 
>right tail light) and saw some questionable solder connections. I 
>went over them all with a soldering iron and some fine solder, and 
>the fast idle has not reappeared after several weeks!!

Funny how we all have the same problems at the same time?
My 87 2wd Westy has been having trouble accelerating.  I took the 
idle stablilizer valve out and cleaned it. Checked it out by putting 12 
volts across it. It would just rattle back and forth making me guess 
it still had some life. How do you know if its ok, should it hold the 
piston at one end or is this hammering typical.  Anyhow, I checked 
the voltage to the valve and got a reading of 10.7 V.  Yet, the valve 
does not hum - hummmm.  Suggestions appreciated :)

I then took out the FI black box behind the rear right tail light. 
Cracking it open revealed a lot of potential questions.  There were a 
lot of components that had black spots.  One black component that 
looked like a voltage regulator (thin approx. 1/16 thick x .3 x .4) 
with 3 prongs was blackened on the circuit board as well as itself 
:(.  Bunch of the 3.3 uF capacitors are leaking yellow stuff, etc... 
Does anyone have access to a circuit diagram for this baby? Or can 
anyone look at their box to tell me what the specs could be for the 
rectifier so I could replace the burned components.  Some of the 
Motorola ICs (LM2902N L8625) have distorted spots on them making me 
question their usefulness.  As you all probably know, the dealer 
would love to see me walk in asking for one of these boxes!

Eduard Vala
Toronto, Ontario (Dam, we missed the Buffalo snow dump)
416 739 5701