Date:         Wed, 20 Jan 1999 18:08:37 -0600
Reply-To:     Scott Hall <ictalurus@WESTAL.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Scott Hall <ictalurus@WESTAL.NET>
Subject:      PANIC!!!!!!!!!!!!  Das Bot just quit on me!!  Fuel starvation or
              fried Digifant?? HELP!!
Comments: To: "vanagon@vanagon.com" <vanagon@vanagon.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Greetings Volks,
While doing the bleed the cooling system jive this afternoon, my 1986 Westy
just flat quit on me.  Sort of a sputter, sputter then ka-chunk.   I had the front end jacked up and the engine was idling up a bit as per the bleeding procedure.  Some coolant had overflowed the expansion tank and a bit ran down the oxygen sensor wires.  Nothing else seems amiss after a cursory glance around the engine compartment.  I had set the idle/CO content with a voltmeter a half hour before and everything seemed to be running fine.   The
radiator fan had kicked and was keeping the engine temp OK.  
I had about a quarter tank of fuel in it.  I thought with so little fuel and the front end jacked up the problem could be fuel starvation.  I pushed the van over to the pump and filled it up about halfway.  I let the fuel pump  cycle by turning the ignition switch on and off several times.  I tried to crank it  about 10 or 15 times over the last hour.  Nothing.
I ran out of gas purposely years ago just to see what I could get out of a tank,
how the fuel gauge behaved at low levels and how much usable fuel the tank held.   After filling up, I had no trouble starting it.
Does anybody have any idea what the problem may be?
I suppose checking for fuel at the pump/filter would be first.
After that,  maybe for fuel at the injectors.
Would some starting fluid help or is that not needed?
Beyond that,  how could I have fried my Digifant doing a procedure I have done many times in the past?  Could coolant on the O2 sensor short it out and fry the computer? Doesn't seem likely to me.  
Vapor lock of some sort?
I am at a loss.
Das Bot has never just quit on me.
Please help.

Thanks,
Dan Hall
Greensboro, Alabama
'86 Westy  "Das Bot" maybe headed towards being renamed "Apollo 13."