Date:         Wed, 15 Jul 1998 14:08:02 -0700
Reply-To:     Ari Ollikainen <Ari@OLTECO.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <Vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Ari Ollikainen <Ari@OLTECO.COM>
Subject:      Re: VW=On-going maintenance concern
Comments: To: vanagon@vanagon.com
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

        GMBulley@AOL.COM wrote

>Example: The O2 sensor is a critical part of VW's Fuel Management system. It
>"burns out" at about 60k. The replacement is simple (less than $100) and then
>all is well in the world. Where *some* folks run into trouble, is the O2
>advisory light comes on (a milage-counting light that tells you when you've
>gone 60k), they figure, "Hey, the van's still running, I can ignore that".
>Wrong. Should've bought a Nissan with that attitude. A bum O2 sensor can cause
>a VERY rich mixture, ruining the catalytic converter, and possibly burning
>valves, or causing other BIG problems.
>
        Please elaborate...How does a rich mixture burn valves?
        I'd be interested in a word picture of the process.

        How rich (stochiometrically speaking) is a "VERY" rich mixture?
        Seems like you're talking about RAW, unburned fuel left in the
        combustion chamber after the power stroke?

        BTW: the recommended change interval in my 1991 Vanagon maintenance
        booklet for the OXS is at 90Kmiles...as opposed to the 60K for other
        VW models.


      OLTECO                         Ari Ollikainen
      P.O. BOX 3688                  Networking Technology and Architecture
      Stanford, CA                   Ari@OLTECO.com
      94309-3688                     415.517.3519