Date: Tue, 4 Aug 1998 12:24:53 -0500
Reply-To: "Chris R. Rowland" <crowland@EARTHLINK.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <Vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: "Chris R. Rowland" <crowland@EARTHLINK.NET>
Subject: Summary: '85 Westy problems -- already.
In-Reply-To: <199808021819.NAA12450@gomer.wiscnet.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
I don't know if people on the list like to receive summaries of the
problems which are posted but it is a common practice on the better
organized technical lists I've been on. So, until I am told otherwise, I'll
post summaries for the listmembers of problems I have experienced and about
which I have received feedback from listmembers.
THE PROBLEM:
At 1:19 PM -0500 8/2/98, C. R. Rowland wrote:
>My wife and I just purchased an '85 Westy. On our maiden
>voyage to Door County, WI from Indianapolis, IN we couldn't get her started
>at a rest stop 'bout 15 miles south of US 30. Gave AAA a call and had her
>towed to Merrillville VW, Audi & Suzuki where we were greated ("Top 'o' the
>morning to ya.") by a very helpful Service Director, Harold Empey (raised
>his family in a '73 Bus with three engine replacements). We left the Westy
>in his care and rented a car for the remainder of our trip north. He
>couldn't look at it 'til Monday and I thought I'd try to get some feedback
>before then.
>
>The problem:
>The Westy starts fine 95% of the time -- I've only owned it a week. It cold
>starts 100% of the time. Twice now though it has refused to start. The first
>time I just let it sit in the driveway for a couple hours and it started
>fine when I pumped the gas pedal. I didn't have that option this time and
>had it towed.
>
>It turns over strong and I can smell raw gas so it doesn't *seem* like a
>fuel line problem, it just refuses to catch and start. The PO claims to have
>never had this problem which is possible if he didn't drive it often. Also,
>on a warm start I usually need to pump the gas pedal to get it to catch.
>
>TIA,
>Chris Rowland
>'85 Westy 4spd - Hundehutte (tr. doghouse)
Harold Empey is the Service Director at MVP in Merrillville, IN. I would be
remiss if I didn't mention the tremendous help he was in getting us back on
the road. He wasn't able to isolate the problem with the Westy before our
return but charged us nothing for his trouble. Using the info below I was
able to get the Westy home and today I found a local Indianapolis shop
(Autohaus on Michigan St.) with a tremendous amount of experience in
Veedubs. (The owner is German speaking if that gives any indication.) They
have the part I need to get the "Hund" back on the road.
THE SOLUTION:
Thanks to everyone who responded. I am only going to post the most relevant
solution which came from Jess Lopatynski.
At 9:32 PM -0500 8/2/98, Jess Lopatynski wrote:
>Sounds exactly like the problem I had with my 84 vanagon and my
>father-in-law's 85. It's being 'flooded' by a
>malfunctioning coolant temp sensor near the water pump.
>
>Here's a trick to start it. In the engine compartment, open the black box
>over the ignition coil on the left side. Unplug the relays and start it. It
>will start on just the residual pressure in the fuel system. Immediately
>plug the relays back in to turn the fuel pump back on.( Works better with
>two people or how fast can you run around back?)
>I confirmed the problem with the sensor sending a 'cold' signal to the
>computer even when warm by a trick from my mechanic. Go to Radio Shack etc.
>and buy a half watt 100 ohm resistor.
>
>When this happens again (mine was very intermittant and frustrating) unplug
>the lead to the sensor . It's one of those special ones with the spring
>clip retainer in the thermostat housing out of the water pump. Push the
>resistor in the harness and hold in with a bit of tape. This will give a
>'warm' signal to the computer and if it starts and runs ok, then buy a new
>sensor. It's a Bosch part I got from my independent shop for about $35.
>(It's on page 19.8 in my Bentley manual)
>
>I drove home from Eastern WA to SoCal with the resistor in this way.
>Hope this is of help.
>Jess Lopatynski
>87 GL
>85 GTI
-----------------------------------------------------
Chris R. Rowland
mailto:crowland@earthlink.net
http://www.iupui.edu/~crowland/
Indy Triathlon Team
http://www.mindspring.com/~goldstein/indyswim/triteam/
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