Date:         Thu, 7 Jan 1999 20:54:23 -0500
Reply-To:     Animal <terrapin@HALIFAX.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Animal <terrapin@HALIFAX.COM>
Subject:      questions
Content-type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

I'm full of it this evening so bear with.
Fellow vanogoneers
First forgive me for not taking this to the type 2 list, but these are
vanagons, albeit air-cooled ones, and the type 2 list is presently down.
I have recently added a second vanagon to my collection of VW busses (it
joins the 85 vanagon, 74 westy and 68 daily driver) and have some problems
with cold starting.
I had the starter checked, replaced the alternator, battery and installed
the solenoid dohicky on the starter to cover any voltage loss.
My alternator was shot, my battery didn't seem to be holding a charge, the
new battery worked fine for two days, but yesterday (Wednesday) it once
again refused to crank.
The only thing I haven't replaced is that little starter bushing that goes
it the bell housing, but the one that's there appears to be okay.
What happens is when cold it spins, but for some reason doesn't want to
catch.
I throw the jumper cables to it and it fires right up.
It's sporadic, this morning it was only 32 and wouldn't crank.
Tuesday it was 12 and it cranked.
What should I check now. I can't find anything draining the battery. I've
pulle the hot wire that runs to an amplifier for the radio that the PO ran
straight to the battery and that made no difference.
On to part two. I will be picking up an 82 seven passenger automatic that
the PO claims to have blown up the engine.
I don't know what's wrong with it and really don't care, I have a spare
engine in the shed that I can get to run with a minimum of work, if it looks
viable.
What I do want to know though is, it's an automatic. How do these trannies
hold up. I have always been gunshy around VW autos, being primarily
air-cooled oriented and have watched too many of those auto-sticks go
bellyup.
Is this the same auto found in the later water-cooled vanagons. Is it more
durable than the vanagon manuals that seem to have weak parts.
I have already replaced the four speed in my 85 at 150,000 miles and the
replacement seems to be holding up well.
I'm going to get the 82 no matter what, hey its only $200 and I can pull
enough parts off it to cover the nut, but would like to get a beater bus
running to save the 80 westy for trips.
Also the significant other would prefer an automatic. The 85 is hers and she
loves the fool out of it, but would prefer two changes, an automatic and
power steering, but she understands she can't have everything.
I know this is a lot and probably sounds disjointed,but it has been building
finally coming to a head today.
 I appreciate your help
Onward thru the fog
David Conner
terrapin@halifax.com

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Poor planning on his part, does not constitute an emergency on mine
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 "Without deviation from the norm, progress is not possible" (Frank Zappa)