Date:         Thu, 29 Apr 1999 15:36:20 -0500
Reply-To:     Tonya Pope <Tonya@TEAM-M.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Tonya Pope <Tonya@TEAM-M.COM>
Organization: Team MainStreet Interactive, Inc.
Subject:      a hoot of an explaination from a "mechanic"
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

Ok, now I've heard everything, I think anyway.

My beloved vanagon lost all sense of power yesterday.  Fortunately I was
at a school zone and already had momentum enough to carry me thru at the
20 mph posted.  It would idle, but no revving at all when I gave it gas.

I coast my way into a little stripmall parking lot.  Won't rev.  So I
turn the engine off and restart it.  A little rough, but revs, then
smooths itself out.  So, I figure (crossing fingers) it was a fluke and
get back on the road.  100 feet later I'm coasting at idle speed again.
I get to the next parking lot (it's not a busy road and noone was behind
me) kill it restart all is well (not even rough this time).  I say I'm
not going to be tricked again and take a few whirls around the lot.
Sure enough, it quickly loses power and actually flat out cuts out.  Did
this 2 more times and gave up on it.

This morning, went to it and tried to start it, would crank but wouldn't
go so had it towed to dealer.  I've been hearing a whine, but I thought
it was the power steering (fluid low from hose leak right at reservoir,
but couldn't get into engine area to fill it up because lock was jammed,
fixed that this past weekend but hadn't topped it off yet).  Anyway, I'm
figuring it acted like it got no gas and thought, ok, fuel pump (even
tho replaced about 3 years ago) or relays; possibly even clogged fuel
filter.

So, they just called.  O2 sensor.  I say, you mean the O2 sensor is
keeping it from starting???  They said they got it to start but was
running very very rich, and had black smoke.  They offered to get one
overnighted in for $172 plus 19.50 overnight charge (I tried hard not to
laugh).  I said no, thanks, but no.  They are fixing an oil leak that I
hadn't had time to deal with (oil pressure sensor that from the
instructions I got was a bear to replace anyway).

Should have heard him say how the O2 sensor operated tho.  It apparently
controls a lot of other sensors.  Basically runs the whole vehicle.  Did
say that if they unplugged it it ran slightly better but still not
good.  Geez.

So, whatever really is wrong is probably fouling the sensor now so it
will need replacing (was only maybe 20k old).  Hopefully I can get it
home to look at it myself without it dying on me.

What's the list wisdom say about the real problem?  In hindsight, it has
been running a tad rough under load at startup when hot.  And it was hot
when it croaked.  I had gone into town (50 interstate miles), parked for
maybe 10 mins, and had just gotten back on the road when this happened.

I've got to pick it up from the dealer tomorrow.  They can't do anything
else so if it can't make its way home, I'll be bringing it by another
mechanic that I actually trust.  The other mechanic, however, is an
air-cooled expert and I have to help him a bit when it comes to my
waterbox.  He's always been quite honest in terms of what he can and
can't do so if I can give him a headstart he ought to be ok.

Thanks all,
Tonya
87 Vanagon GL Wolfs
(as luck would have it, my husband's car did the no power thing as well
when we got ALMOST home - bad gas is a minor possibility as we fill up
at same place, but he always gets high octane expensive and I always get
low,cheap)