Date:         Wed, 31 Jul 1996 07:27:29 -0700
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         tjparker@pacificnet.net (Tim Parker)
Subject:      Re:Was EV slap, Now electricals, HELP!

At 10:44 AM 7/30/96, Steven Johnson wrote:

> Plain and simple Tim, dealers and most other garages don't want to work
> on intermittent problems.  It's simple math.  If they can't find the
> problem within an hour, then it's costing them too much money.  They'll
> park the car and give it the sunshine treatment and work on more lucrative
> problems.
>
> Your best course of action that I can see, is either one: pursue it legally
> and see if you can arbitrate them to either fix the vehicle or buy it back.
>
> or two: If you really want this van and want it to run right without all
> of these problems, you're going to have to get your hands dirty and check
> out out yourself.
>
> If it were my van, I'd probably start with number one and see how much
> trouble it was.
>
> In the mean time, while I had the van I'd check every damn wire connector
> and connection made on it.  Don't assume anything just because it's only
> 3 years old.  Start at the battery and work your way along the circuits
> that have the accessories that have failed or are intermittent.  Check
> every wire every connection whether you're looking at a junction, a
> 'T' or a component.  Make sure there is always a good clean solid
> connection.  You want to rule out the possibility that there is no
> continuity problem in the wire interconnects.  That is what I suspect
> is wrong as most intermittent problems like yours are.
>
> I suspect, that if you do number two, that you'll probably find the
> problem yourself long before any legal proceedings would start....

Steven:

I think you're absolutely right.  I'll pursue option (2) first, actually.

thanques,
-Tim.