Date:         Tue, 23 Mar 1999 23:42:19 -0500
Reply-To:     Seth F Gordon <sethgordon@MONTYSBAY.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Seth F Gordon <sethgordon@MONTYSBAY.COM>
Subject:      Re: Leaking Heads
Content-Type: multipart/alternative;


    Dear Yahi,
        >Under load engine exhibits intermittent misfiring<
------------------------------------------------------------------------        
         
        Well the intermittent missfire you speak of because of the Internal head leak is not similar to the intermitant  violent  (emphasized) jerking of the more mysterious problem related O2 sensors and AFMs that are fixed with "harnesses".  I experienced this jerking once and only once ever and never again,  acctually twice for a matter of seconds on one day, who knows?
        
        There is a great difference! 
         
         I do however have the internal head leak which I believe has been worsening for the past few years.  A few mechanics tried to find the problem to no avail.  I only realised the acctual problem this summer on the way to maine to see Phish (there were plenty of warning that this problem was happening, but I was young and a newbie.) when my coolant light started blinking,  the heater started blowing cold air intermitantly for a while before the blinking.
        So much exaust gas accumulated in the cooling system that the sensor in the resevoir was responding to the fact that all that surrounded it was air.  I pulled over and bled the system of air and topped off the coolant (I was well prepared), and off we were again.  This happened once again on the way home.
         
        To make this increasingly longer story short.  It sounds to me like you need to do the heads.  Feel lucky that you discovered the list.I did not find it 'till last year and still took forever for me to find the real problem.
         
        Who knows what other damage I have done by driving with this persitant problem!  (feel free to comment on the possibilities, anyone?  she seems to run fine other than the leak.)
         
        One last comment:  Early on when I noticed slight hesitation on take off, hills, ect.  I unplugged the oxygen sensor and this remedeied the hesitation (not too smart).  I later plugged it back in and it still ran fine but by this time the sensor was probly dead.
         
         
        seth gordon 
        84 WLE 

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