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
>
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