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Date:         Mon, 7 Jul 97 16:01:20 -0400
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Sam Moore <samoore@shellx.best.com>
Subject:      Engine Control Unit (ECU) Problems?

Hi All,

For the last week or so my 84 westy has started and then as I put into gear to back out of the drive way and press on the accelerator it would die. I could start it up as soon as I touched the gas it would die. I also noticed the idle was only around 800 rpm.

If I kept the engine running for 15 minutes till the temp came up to nominal it would eventually run and the idle would move to the normal 900 rpm.

I took it to my trusted VW mechanic to diagnose.

He called me back and said it was ready the next morning.

I fired it up and the problem had not gone away. The mechanic came out as I was trying to hold my temper and start the engine and popped the boot and jiggled the ECU harness and viola.

After a call from the owner, he offered me a couple of suggestions short of replacing the ECU.

1. Put dielectric grease on the #2 pin to decrease oxidation on the connection and improve the connection.

2. Install the $150 transformer from VW.

BTW pin #2 on the unit looked bent on the harness. I cleaned it, tried to straighten it, and cleaned the contacts on the ECU as well. I drove it over the weekend. It ran great.

I am very concerned that this is going to be a problem that will reoccur just when I really need to depend on the vehicle.

Does anyone have a similar experience and possible solutions?

Thanks,

Sam More

Sam Moore

84'Westy /Wolfsburg Ed. 814 Glendover Cove * Lexington, KY * 40502 606-269-0933 * 606-268-2724


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