Date:         Tue, 30 Jun 1998 14:24:52 -0500
Reply-To:     "Chip & Co." <Shaner@FAMENT.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <Vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         "Chip & Co." <Shaner@FAMENT.COM>
Subject:      Update: No start after rain
Comments: To: vanagon@vanagon.com
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

background:
        '86 Vanagon won't start after it rains.

Yesterday I took the chance to do my controlled rain experiment. (Also,
my wife was cranky cause she's 9 mos pregnent and her van is dirty.
Anything for the pregnent one. WASH TIME!!) Here are the results.

Sprayed steady stream simulating rain  on windsheild for 20 min. Fired
right up.

Sprayed underneath, fuel pump and filter area soaked. Fired right up.

Opened engine compartment and gave it a through washing. Not going
anywhere.

Ok so I have it nailed down to being in the engine compartment. I should
mention that 2 different red wires coming off the alternator had spots
showing, so I wrapped them in electrical tape. I have some of the heat n
shrink tubing, but can't find it since I moved.

So I removed the cap and look inside. "Hmmm looks awful dry." I say to
my helpers (my kids). While pondering this I looked down at the rotor
and notice some grime on the corners. I leaned over to blow it off
and......it stayed. It was wet!!! So I took a dry towel and dried out
the cap and rotor and..(drum roll)...It started!!!

Well at this point I want to apologize to Marcus. He was the first to
reply to my problem with this exact fix, but I thought that for some
reason it could not be this. Thanks Marcus.

QUESTION:
        Where the wires for my sending unit enter the distributor, there is a
black braket kinda deal that guides them in. On mine, the bracket thing
is broke and doens't stay mated up next tp the distributor. Is this a
proble? Can this cause other problems?

Thanks

--
Chip Shaner
4 kids and 1 cookin'.......
http://www.fament.com/chip/vw/vw.html  - The Un-named VW page
Http://www.fament.com/chip/vw/plates.html - Decorative License Plates