Date:         Thu, 14 Nov 96 16:26:43 CST
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Joel Walker <JWALKER@ua1vm.ua.edu>
Subject:      Re: 87 HELP!!!

On Thu, 14 Nov 1996 15:10:43 -0600 you said:
>Ya'll are going to get tired of me real soon, so be prepared.

boy! some people! ;)

>1)  Trying to replace coolant temp. sensor for FI.  Part given to me is
>#025 906 041A.  Part I think (or thought) in van is #251 919 372.  Part
>(again I thought) is at top of coolant expansion tank in rear corner of
>engine compartment.  New part doesn't look like old part and old wire

BZZZZT!! Wrongo, Coolant Breath! :) 041A should be BLUE colored. it's the
one you want to replace. 372 sounds like the coolant LEVEL sensor, which
is stuck in the top of the coolant tank (the LEFT one, NOT the one next to
the license plate flap).

the problem is, that ain't the right one! :) 041 (blue) is the right sensor,
but you're trying to put it in the wrong place! the coolant TEMP sensor on
an 87 is up in the front left corner of the engine compartment, just outside
the compartment. you can see it from the back of the car (standing at the
back bumper, with the engine hatch removed) ... there's a big bump/lump with
some hoses going to it, and TWO little electrical connectors. the connector
that points off to the LEFT is the coolant temp sensor. (the front-pointing
one is the coolant GAUGE sensor, which controls the coolant temp gauge in the
dash instruments. this sensor is silver-colored). do NOT try to replace the
coolant temp sensor from underneath the bus: you WILL get coolant in your
face/eyes/ears/hair/etc. when you pull the sensor out, some coolant will spill
out .. maybe a pint (?), so be prepared with a bucket or pan or something.
also, the rubber o-ring may not come out with the old sensor, so you'll have
to fish it out with your finger. which brings up another point: WAIT until
the car/engine/coolant has cooled OVERNIGHT before you do this! that coolant
stays really hot for a loooooong time! <the Voice of Experience!>

always use a new o-ring. the old one gets flattened on the sides, and will
leak if you re-use it.

oh, yeah... you CAN do all this from the top; leaning over and reaching your
hands through the "hole" there in the corner.

>Symptoms--original: after driving for an hour or so, severe loss of
>power; okay again after it cools completely.  No indication of trouble
>when going on short trips around town.  Newest:  Won't budge, idles
>okay--little rough maybe; pressing gas=very rough, loss of RPMs, nearly
>dying.  Put it into reverse or forward and it'll idle/coast.  Press gas,

original sounds like the air-flow meter harness problem. i'll send the tech
bulletin in a minute. the newest sounds like either coolant temp sensor or
O2 sensor dying or dead.

joel