Date:         Thu, 21 Mar 1996 13:20:34 -0800
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         "Christian Owens (Volt Comp)" <a-chowen@microsoft.com>
Subject:      FW: Welcome to the list, was: This may not work

>From: 	djenkins@foxboro.com[SMTP:djenkins@foxboro.com]
>
>>> So I need a mentor,
>>
>>This list has many talented people. Post a specific question and you can be
>>guaranteed to receive many replies.
>>
>>Welcome to the list. Now we have a Microsoft weenie to complain to
>>when we are frustrated with a Microsoft product :-).
>>

Well, I am glad to see that I am not nearly as stupid as I sometimes
feel and that my intro went out to your list.  I haven't gotten anything
else from this list yet so I am wondering if I got this from Mr. Jenkins
by way of direct reply or by way of list server.  

Anyway, enough about the vagaries of e-mail.

Let's talk about my problems.  They are relatively small but are
problems none the less. 

Twice my Vanagon, 'Nimitz', has mysteriously just stopped running.  No,
I did not lug it or stall it, both times the engine was not under load
and coasting to a stop.  One time while in third gear with clutch in,
one time with stick in nuetral clutch in.  The first time wasn't so
traumatic because it started right up.  The second time, I was not as
fortunate.

It would seem that 'Nimitz' had decided that he will only start if his
engine is cold.  At normal operating temp (white indicating needle
covering led in middle of temp guage) you could try to start 'Nimitz'
and he would cheerfully turn over, but never fire.  I proceeded to check
fluids and was getting ready to pull plugs by street lamp light (I lost
my flashlight) and decided to give the engine one more try.  Engine
turns over and starts to catch weakly, I add a little gas and engine
starts running nicely (a hard start none the less).  I drive the rest of
the way home (I was dropping of a fellow commuter) and turn off engine. 
Try to start it.  It won't start.  I go in and prep dinner, have a
cigarette and contemplate internal combustion.  Then I play devils
advocate (it's been about 10 minutes that the Van has been sitting
again) and go try to start it.  Repeat of the hard start.

But then it gets worse.  Cause all of this bad behavior goes away the
next day, and Nimitz acts like the wonderful Vanagon I know he is.

Vital Stats:
83 Vanagon 
Fuel injected (duh)
93K original miles.  
I am 2nd owner.  1st owner was my mother.  This vehicle has traversed
the continent 3 times, and lived in Portland,OR - Vancouver, WA -
Seattle, WA - Sacramento, CA - Denver, CO - and Westport, CT.  It is
currently living in Seattle, WA for the second time in it's life.  

I do not believe there is a chip problem for fuel injection since it
lived in Sacremento before coming back to Redmond/Seattle.  All though
the environments are quite different in climate(temp), elevation is
relatively close, and the chip for the high elevation of Denver has
supposedly been replaced.  Can you tell I don't like EFI yet?  I don't
know how to fix it if it breaks so I don't like it.

Last problem Looking at the engine from the rear of the car and from the
bottom, there is a slow oil leak on the left side of the engine.  If I
am not completely high on crack this leads me to believe that the base
gasket for the left head is blown but not badly.  Would this be a fair
assumption and given that I can tear down a bike engine to it's cases do
any of you think replacing this gasket would be more than a 1 day in the
driveway project?

I appreciate any and all responces.

Squid