Date:         Wed, 23 Jun 1999 21:52:48 PDT
Reply-To:     Mike Finkbiner <mike_l_f@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Mike Finkbiner <mike_l_f@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Engine Pulsing - No More?
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed

Volks -

As some of you might recall, I bought an '87 Westy in Atlanta and in March
we drove it back to Moscow, ID.

On the way, we had a serious attack of the bucking, missing engine that VW
developed the wiring harness to cure.  Unfortunately, the mechanic in
Colorado Springs first determined that the ECU was bad (dwell wouldn't come
down), and it wasn't until Casper, WY that we got the harness installed.

Since then, I have felt that from time to time the engine was pulsing at
highway speeds, almost like driving in a gusty wind.  Many of you offered
suggestions.  I cleaned and greased the grounds, checked the voltage rise on
the AFM (within spec), and used electronic cleaner on the wiper track, which
seemed to help but didn't solve the problem.

So - based on several suggestions, I decided to replace the fuel filter,
temp sensor and O2 sensor.  I ordered the parts, as well as oil and air
filters, from the Bus Depot.

Unfortunately, due to lack of understanding on my part, I got the temp
sensor for the temperature gauge, not the temp 2 sensor, but I put the rest
of the parts on, and I hope the Bus Depot will get back to me about
exchanging the part.

That did it.  I still get a bit of surging/pulsing in lower gears around
town, but that seems normal to me.  On the highway, the engine seems to run
very steadily.  My gas mileage went up as well, from about 18 to about 20
MPG at 65-70.

Based on my experience I would have to say that the pulsing problem a lot of
people have reported doesn't have just one cause.  In my case, once the
wiring harness had suppressed the major problem, a dirty AFM and marginal O2
sensor most likely were the cause of the minor pulsing that was left.

Success - at least for now. <G>  Next - to find out why the A/C stopped
working, and why the temperature gauge is now reading just over the white
block when before it was reading just below the LED.

Thanks to all of the people who contributed suggestions and good thoughts,
but - does it ever end?

Mike Finkbiner
'87 Westy


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