Date:         Tue, 18 Feb 1997 19:32:26 -0600
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         "Mark B. Magee" <magee2@flash.net>
Subject:      Re: disconnect 02 sensor: Plea for Fault Codes

Malcom Wrote:
> Altogether, the latest Bosch Motronic systems beat all the past hacks by
> miles, and they get better each year -- simpler, smarter, cheaper and more
> reliable.

Malcolm,
I agree, except for the fact that trouble-shooting an EFI problem is
almost beyond the garden variety shade tree mechanic due to lack of
necessary (electronic) equipment. The operative term in your description
of Bosch electronic fuel injection is "Latest", which we do not have on
our Vanagons. I would agree "Good", but would add "Expensive" and
excessively so due to not recording Fault Codes as is required of all
EFI units sold in the US today (I believe since '93 on).
BTW, If there is any "Chip Head" out there cutting silicon wafers or
otherwise board-level stuff, is it possible to -economically- add a
device to our Vanagon ECU's to record Fault Codes? This that we might
save ourselves untold millions in having Dieter Duetschland diagnosing
our gremlinesque Fuel Injection Problems on our beloved, yet decidely
aging Vanagons? Don't be shy, just volunteer your wafer-fab shop for a
little pet project to help out your fellow Vanagoneers!
Now how sweet would it be to just plug in a relatively inexpensive
diagnositic coder reader to tell us our Vanagon EFI problems! Am I
dreaming?
(Yes I am, of a Subaru Engine that slides nicely into my Vanagon with an
ECU that reads Fault codes, has 135 HP on a 4cyl, gets the same or
better mileage, and -all- parts are 1/2 price of Vanagon engine parts.
This dream is getting better, A Unified German flag sticker on the right
side widow, and the Rising Sun on the rear window. Wow!)
My yens worth.
Mark B. Magee
87GL 78K
PS (I must confess these thoughts come in the wake of 1 week of trying
to diagnose a crazy idle problem, now handled by Dieter at great
expense.)