Date: Sat, 25 Jul 1998 16:50:03 EDT
Reply-To: GMBulley@AOL.COM
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <Vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: GMBulley@AOL.COM
Subject: Re: bad knock (long response)
Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
In a message dated 7/25/98 2:55:30 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
davelm@TELEPORT.COM writes:
<< While I was in the Terwilliger curves my oil light came on and a buzzer
sounded. Then it went away. the oil light went out and the buzzer quit. I
drove on into Portland to my son's house. When I got there I checked my oil.
The dip stick said I had plenty of oil. Then a few days later my son was
driving it and the oil light came on and pretty soon a real bad sounding knock
started. The knock has not gone away. I sounds serious. What is likely the
problem? >>
Dave--
I hate to be the bearer of bad tidings, but it sounds like time for a new
motor. You have a bad bearing. Stop driving your van to save yourself ruining
the core (motor), which you will need for exchange.
One could only guess at why your oil warning system sounded its "death buzz";
my guess would be the "Terwilliger curves" may have been long enough, and
strong enough that the oil was up one side of the motor for a while. There is
a small "reserve cup" on the pick-up tube for this reason, but it only holds
about a cup. It may be that the "bottom end" was starved long enough to score
up one of the bearings pretty badly, then oil pressure returned, and you drove
on to Portland.
In your message, you mention "a few days later my son was driving it and the
oil light came on and pretty soon a real bad sounding knock started". I'm not
sure if you mean he kept driving with the buzzer going, or if it went off for
a second, and then went off, and it started knocking later. Either way, this
"knocking" is the sound of your motor assending "The Final Grade" to be with
Jesus and the lambs and the harps and clouds. Say bye-bye, and thanks for all
the good times. In the words of Alex Trebeck: "I'm Sorry."
A word for new VW owners, and those who didn't receive the owner's manual,
because the PO used it to start a campfire two Winters ago...There are a
couple of lights on your dash you can kind-of ignore: turn signal blinker, and
high-beam indicator, sure you'll be annoying, but not too much of a danger.
There are some lights on your dash you can deal with in due time: OXS and CAT,
change the parts out within a month or so, and you are good to go. There is
one light that gives you a little while to get to a service station, or home,
if you are nearby: ALT, you have serious electrical problems, but as long as
there aren't flames, you can probably make it a few miles (or more), good
luck.
The is ONE light you don't want to ignore for a second...OIL. The cheapskates
at VW even went to the added cost of including an annoying buzzer, to catch
your attention if you are just looking out the side window, are locked in
passion, or are sleeping while you drive. This is important stuff.
On the highway, you can't go without oil pressure for more than a second or
two without serious damage to the motor. If your Oil pressure warning
light/buzzer goes off, TURN THE MOTOR OFF IMMEDIATELY (as long as you can do
so safely). Coast to the side of the road, and diagnose/fix the problem with
100% sureity before starting the motor again.
If you can't find the problem, call a tow-truck and have it towed to a
mechanic. (Carry AAA). Even if you shop around, a new motor is more than
$1,200, and having it installed adds another $200-$600, and those costs are
very conservative. Again, Sorry Dave. But, let's look on the bright
side...you'll have a new motor and a lot of great reliability you don't have
today. Congrats!!!
gmbulley
cary, nc
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