Date:         Thu, 11 Jul 1996 13:48:20 -0700 (PDT)
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         "Steven Johnson" <sjohnson@pcocd2.intel.com>
Subject:      Re: '87 Synro jerky running on highway

So RobHalliga@aol.com says:
> Could anyone help me diagnose this problem with my '87 syncro? When I've been
> on
> the highway for more than an hour the van will start jerking like its starved
> for fuel. When 
> I pull over while its happening, it stalls. It never stalls otherwise. Then
> it starts right up and runs fine for another hour. This would be very hard to
> reproduce for a mechanic.
> I've owned the van for 2 months and 5000 miles. It only has 56000 on it.The
> problem just started on my last of many 200 to 300 mile trips by highway. The
> tach doesn't move during the incidences and the prob seems to be speed
> sensitive--60 to 70
> on level road. The jerks got larger with each hourly episode. Is it the fuel
> filter, fuel pump, something with the limited slip or what? One  factor could
> be that, I just disconnected the seat belt warning buzzer before the trip.
> Perhaps that effected the fuel pump? Although the wiring diagram seems to
> contra-indicate any connection.  I'm afraid to leave on a planned  trip cross
> country with my van running like this. Thanks for any advice.

You're experiencing the hesitation problem that is already known by VW
and most of us on this list.  You can get in on alot of previous discussions
about this by going to the gopher site archive at:

	     gopher://halfdan.med.umn.edu/11/Miscellaneous/Vanagon

and do a search for 'hesitation'.

What I do when I experience this hesitation is just make it to the next
exit, turn off the engine, let it sit for a few minutes or has long as
it takes to pee, restart the engine and head on out on my journey again.
It never has reoccured during any one single trip.  

VW provides a 'so-called' fix which is a harness that is a kind of electrical
filter for the idle stabilizer.  They sell it for $100.  I call it bullshit.
>From what I've read, it does nothing.  Some thinks it fixes the problem, but
I've read enough from others that tells me it works about as well as those
deer whistles and gas pellets.

If you want to find the real problem, you need to check out your entire
F.I. system and look for any kind of defect in the wire connections.
I've read that some people have found small shorts on the shielded
wires at the connectors.  Others have found that the computer itself 
have cold solder joints on the large resistors.  VW is absolutely no
help with this problem so you'll need to debug it yourself.  I keep
telling myself that I need to do this myself, but keep putting it
off.  Oh well, maybe I'm too lazy like the 'Hoov' says.  ;)

Hope this is of use to you.

Steven 
Sacramento, CA
sjohnson@pcocd2.intel.com