Date: Tue, 15 Sep 1998 18:52:22 -0400
Reply-To: Dennis Haynes <dhaynes57@EMAIL.MSN.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <Vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: Dennis Haynes <dhaynes57@EMAIL.MSN.COM>
Subject: Re: "Idiot Owner Out of Gas" Syndrome and Remedy?
You should keep in mind that every time the fuel pump runs dry, it may be
destroyed. The Vanagon fuel system will normally prime itself instantly.
What is probably happening is that your pump is starting to seize. It
should also be noted that the gasoline actually flows over the armature and
brushes. If enough air gets in with the fuel, it can ignite. I have seen
pumps "blown apart from this. This is probably the reason that almost all
cars now have the pump in the fuel tank or some other type of containment.
Dennis
-----Original Message-----
From: Max/Joyce Wellhouse <maxjoyce@IPA.NET>
To: Vanagon@VANAGON.COM <Vanagon@VANAGON.COM>
Date: Tuesday, September 15, 1998 2:22 PM
Subject: "Idiot Owner Out of Gas" Syndrome and Remedy?
>Dear Folks: Twice now I have foolishly driven past the magic exit on the
>freeway only to feel the stumble and surging indicating I have not been
>watching the fuel guage very closely. On both occasions I have literally
>driven it until it wouldn't go any further however getting to a pump. Upon
>filling it the first time, it took 30 minutes or better to get it to
>rewstart and I wrote this off as some sort of air trapped in the
>fule/injector lines. I ran the battery down needlessly and ended up push
>starting it after a lot of mental stress. This most recent time(last night
>in a driving rain storm) I had the same thing happpen. After only running
>the battery down about half way this time, I decided to test the air lock
>theory(on our Dodge Caravan 3.0 6 cyl. we were told to NEVER run it out of
>gas for fear of the same problem) and slowly unscrewed the metal cap that
>accesses the fitting where the fuel pressure guage goes for testing(this is
>a 90 GL) as it was in plain sight down by the fuel pump block off plate
>above the belt pulley. To my surprise, as the cap was slowly removed, it
>reminded me of the bubbling that happens during the airbleeding of the
>radiator. This was probably not the safest thing to do(power was off but
>battery not disconnected), but it did start almost immediately upon re
>trying the ignition switch.
>
> Is there another way to do this that could be safer or am I being a
>little too over-cautious? Relatively little fuel spilled out of the hole,
>but then it doesn't take much to start a fire and in retrospect, I
>should've pulled out the extinguisher and had it REAL handy just in case.
>
>A couple of times I have felt the engine stumble and immediately filled the
>tank and not had this problem. TIA for any input you have
>
>Dimwitted Moose and Flying Squirrel
>
>Hey Bullwinkle, LOOK.. A message in a bottle....
>
>HMMMM..... Fan mail from some Flounder?
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