Date: Fri, 8 May 1998 11:16:38 -0700
Reply-To: "Steven X. Schwenk" <sxs@SCHWENK-LAW.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <Vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: "Steven X. Schwenk" <sxs@SCHWENK-LAW.COM>
Subject: Re: "bucking"
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
This is a common problem...most likely. If you check the
archives....other peolple refer to it as stumbling. For some, it only
happens at higher elevation. The cures vary....they are (1) vw makes a
special wiring harness that replaces the old one at the air flow meter
that is designed to cure this... takes about 10 minutes to
install....about $90, I think, but that is not always the problem; (2)
cleaning the carbon track in the sealed Air flow meter (AFM) has worked
for many and is free....don't ask the dealer to do this, he won't and
will want you to buy a new one for hundreds instead...see the archive
for the procedure...fairly simple; (3) replace your 02 sensor if it
hasn't been for years (details in the archive)...make sure to get one
from either the Old Volks Home or bus depot...or possibly volks
motorsports cafe....for much less than 1/2 dealer price....about $25;
(4) there is a small temp sensor near your thermostat that sends signals
to the fuel injection...some have found this to be the cause...about $23
from a dealer or any of the above suppliers (5) it never hurts to
replace an old fuel filter, but probanly not the problem.
When I had the problem, cleaning the AFM carbon track and replacing my
02 sensor cured the problem....for about $25 and 1 1/2 hour in my time.
I would do those 2 first....then the temp sensor and then the wiring
harness. If you have the problem I think you do, it may not appear
again for months. Mine did it once....then not again for a year....then
a couple times in a year....then it started getting more frequent and I
fixed it. Usually, when it does appear, it will go away if you just
pull over and shut off the motor for a few minutes. I'ver never heard
of this stranding anyone.
check the archive or pmail me if you need more info.
steve
karen brown wrote:
> Greetings -
> I was headed to the beach on the interstate last week-end, going about
> 60,
> not accelerating or decelerating but maintaining my speed, when
> suddenly the
> van bucked pretty severly. It immediately went back to normal and
> nothing
> extraordinary happened for the balance of the trip (45 minutes or so),
>
> except for the acceleration of my heart rate to 190 bpm. I may have
> let off
> on the accelerator slightly without realizing it and the bucking was
> my
> pushing back down on it (some kind of torque thing??), but I don't
> think so
> and this has never happened before. It happened once again the next
> day on
> my return trip. Bucking is the only way I can think of to describe
> this
> event; it was one brief, sharp jerk of the engine, then onward as if
> nothing
> happened. Any ideas out there?
>
> Thanks!
> Karen Brown
> '84 VW Westfalia
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