Date: Mon, 23 Jun 1997 07:16 -0600 (MDT)
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: BLAINE_BACHMAN%PL-01M3@ccmail.plk.af.mil
Subject: Thanks and a "Service Bulletin"
First, thanks to all who have helped me in my quest to find the jack.
It's obviously not in the car. I was pleased to learn (while checking
the spare tire area) that my spare is also mounted on an alloy wheel.
I guess I'll go out and buy a matching fifth tire (they're almost new)
and do the complete five-tire rotation pattern.
Second, a warning. The dealer (accidently, I'm sure) caused me an
almost meltdown over the weekend. I had the car in for the F.I.
recall ("SV", I believe) last week along with other work needed to
pass the smog check. Some of you may have noted that the large red
wire from the alternator passes under some hoses and then over the
throttle body inlet on its way to the terminal on the starter (and
thence to the battery). The wire is strapped to the throttle body
with a nylon wire tie.
When I picked the car up last Thursday, the accelerator pedal seemed a
bit stiffer. I dismissed it as just an illusion caused by the
different feel of the pedal vis-a-vis the '66 bus I had been driving
while the Vanagon was in the shop. It wasn't.
Yesterday, while accelerating from a stoplight, there was a loud pop
and the van died (and the dashboard died too). I coasted through the
intersection and tried to start the car. It started, but died
whenever I pressed the accelerator too far. At "idle", the revs
easily peaked past 3500, so I put it in "D"rive and headed up the
hill. I had to ride the brake to maintain the speed limit.
At home, I started looking into a possible F.I. problem. Then I saw
it. The wire tie was broken and 3 inches of the red cable was fried.
Evidently the throttle arm had been slowly eating into the insulation
over the last three days (aha! that's why the pedal was stiff!) , and
had finally struck pay dirt. Disconnecting the battery ground, I took
the cable off the alternator end so I could rerout it and temporarilly
repair it with about five layers of electrical tape (it was too late
to look for a suitable after-market replacement - and besides, I'm
gonna try and get it out of the dealer - rotsa ruck!).
So, a warning, and a question (or three).
Keep an eye on this cable and the wire tie that's supposed to keep it
out of harm's way where it passes next to the throttle body.
Why was this routing chosen anyway? Has anyone moved their cable to a
"safer" location? Are their different perils to be encountered along
other possible routings?
As always, TIA.
-Blaine