Date:         Tue, 23 Mar 1999 16:39:24 -0800
Reply-To:     "Tom L. Neal" <jneal@NETCOM.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         "Tom L. Neal" <jneal@NETCOM.COM>
Subject:      Re: Service Bulletin for AFMs and harness
In-Reply-To:  <3c201f1b.36f80782@aol.com>
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII

At the risk of repeating a  lot of what many people probably already know..

Apparently there are several causes for the hesitation problem symptom.
Relative to the wiring harness...
In my jerky journeys around the high altitude, dry, cold west
describing the hesitation problem, the Ft. Collins VW dealer people claimed
they diagnosed ESD as the problem that THEY saw, and invented the wiring
harness fix.  They said  an Electro Static Charge buildup occurs
somewhere in the air  intake system (probably on the plastic) and
eventually  the lightening bolt  discharge gets to the  computer.  So
this wiring   harness is just a way  to bleed off ESD charge  somehow.
The simple capacitor should try to  absorb the excited  electrons in the
same way. Should be very  simple  (but I haven't investigated this) to
splice in a couple of  parts and  wires and effectively do the fix for
almost no money, given the  schematic, and I think it's in the SN.  Of
course I figured this out  after paying for the fix, after which the
van still hesitates sometimes.

BTW, if ESD is truly the cause of hesitation in a van, other ESD suppressant
techniques should work as well.  Since my van only hesitates on alternate
Leap Days and in snowstorms on precipitous roads, it would be
great if someone who lives in a relatively dry and/or cold climate and has
more predictable symptoms would like to
try spraying (with the engine off) a very soapy  solution of any liquid
soap and water  on electrical  areas and air flow surfaces.    A light
film of  dried soap shouldn't cause any   problems, could be easily
washed off if  it does, and should be  hydroscopic enough to prevent  the
buildup of  ESD.  It's probably not a  long term fix, but it would  prove
the cause effectively and point to solutions.  I'd be extremely interested
in the results.

The soap experiment is easier to implement than another alternative of
hooking up an  ESD suppresant radioactive alpha ion  emitter in the air
intake, although that would  certainly be fun to try.......hmm........a....
nuclear powered Vanagon......Was denken Sie, Detlev?

Cheers, Tom Neal  '8(jerk)7   sy(jerk,jerk)ncro

On Tue, 23 Mar 1999 KENWILFY@AOL.COM wrote:

> Been talking to several people lately about Vanagon AFMs (gee I wonder why?)
> and the ghost harness.  I remember seeing a post of the VW service bulletin
> from one of those CDs that some folks on the list have.  Could someone repost
> this SB?  Just wanted to be better informed on this issue.  I tried the
> archives but they are down right now.
> Thanks
> Ken Wilford
> Van-Again
> John 3:16
>