Date:         Wed, 17 Feb 1999 20:45:01 -0600
Reply-To:     Scott Hall <ictalurus@WESTAL.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Scott Hall <ictalurus@WESTAL.NET>
Subject:      DAS BOOT HAS ENGINE RUNNING!!!!!!
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEHAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Darrel and Volks,
While reading your latest reply, I discovered I had misinformed you.  Das Boot is an 86 Vanagon Wolfsburg.   Pop top and no kitchen.   The are two schematics for the 86 Vanagon.   The first is for VIN G 055 689.  The second set is for vehicles from G 055 690.   My van uses the first set.  The second set shows the white wire going to the air flow sensor form pin 17. Mine is different

I have 2 green wires coming off Terminal 1 of the coil.  One goes to pin 25 on the ECU.
The other goes to pin 17 of the ISCU...NOT directly to the ECU.  My ISCU is fried.  Hence the lack of continuity at pin 17 that I indicated in an earlier post.
I have had the ISCU pulled out of the van for quite a while. 

I was in the process of doing the tests at the coil and ECU pin 25 again.   I discovered that my voltage at the coil on both returned to normal, 12.5 volts,
when I disconnected the green wire that goes to pin 17 of the ISCU.

I was headed back inside to post this to the list but decided to give it a shot at cranking her up.  She fired no problem!!!       But that irritating valve noise was extremely loud, I suppose from hydraulic lifters that had drained down with the engine sitting.  I am running 20W50.  I had the oil light buzzer thing going on when using 10W40 on this VW rebuilt engine.  
How much lifter noise is normal?  Should it go away very soon or is it OK that it takes a few minutes.  They eventually pump up and quieten down after the engine is warm.   The original engine had no such trouble until she was headed for a rebuild.     Any suggestions??

Back to the pin 17 and coil situation.   When I bought the van in 1993,  the ISCU didn't kick up the idle properly when AC was on or radiator fan was on.
I only realized this was the case after the idle stuck at 3000 RPM or so, enough to push it at 50 MPH on the highway, and I was discussing this with a mechanic.  The mechanic just unplugged the valve and I have run it without an ISCU valve operating for years.  Recently, I took out the ISCU module to open it up and attempt a repair.  The valve is plugged up but obviously doesn't work with the black box.   I think the ISCU connector may have bounced around and shorted out after I pulled the ISCU module.  This is only a guess but the connector was not in it's normal position. It was laying on the metal floor of the compartment(behind the tail light.)   

I am starting to think it would be better to replug the ISCU and unplug the stabilizer valve.  I don't feel good having the green wire from pin 17 of the ISCU pulled off the coil.  Could this set up some kind of closed loop situation that would adversely effect the ECU operation?

To clarify, some questions:

1. Pulled ISCU or unplugged valve?  IS one better than the other?
2. Disconnected pin 17 wire to ISCU on coil?  Is this bad?   Closed loop?
3. What caused pin 17 wire on coil to kill the engine?  Why has it suddenly surfaced now?   A short?
4. How long should the lifters tap-tap-tap when I crank a cold engine?
    This can happen after it sits overnight or not.
    This can happen after it sits a week or more or not.
5. What to do?
6. Where to go?

Thanks all,
Dan Hall
86 Wolfsburg, pop top and no kitchen.