Date: Tue, 13 Jul 1999 16:43:30 EDT
Reply-To: ThZouave@AOL.COM
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Todd Thompson <ThZouave@AOL.COM>
Subject: When the lights went out in GA. (engine too)
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
I recently bought a 84 Vanagon where I live up near Washington DC. It is my
fourth camper so I just call Him "four" (#1 71', #2 74'. #3 76)The van had
180,000 milesrecent head gaskets done and I am the third owner.
I am now on my first trip with the van to visit some family in GA. The trip
started off unevenfully enough with massive traffic out of the DC area. Once
I got on the open highway I everything was great. Just got the A/C serviced
before I left but did not use it much because of the power loss and the fact
i am used to air-cooled vans (engine and passengers) and I havent got used to
it yet. It also seems to keep the back passengers cool and me frustrated.
We pulled into a rest stop to let the kids run around and to get some
circulation in my butt. When we got in the engine would crank but not start.
1) check the spark off the coild and #1 wire--- good but some corosion on the
cap and roter. cleaned that off. (no start)
2) check the air flow sensor. not too familiar with it but it moved ok but
dirty. (no start)
3) I had no starter fluid to check to see if fuel was comming in so I cawled
under the van with a screwdriver to get some gas out of the line and noticed
that my filter was dark black and when disconected didn't flow well. Poored
some gas into the intake manifold and the van started with trouble. Figured
that it was poor fuel flow and that I would keep the tank full and get a
filter when I got to GA.
The rest of the drive down was uneventfull until when I got down I bought a
fuel filter but was then talked into the beach before I put it on.
down at the beach I droped off the family and then couldn't get the van
started --- same symptoms.
1) this time I went for the fuel trick to see if it would start up
quickly--figureing I had it licked. Did the whole set up again and no start.
At that point the family wisely left me alone and go Icecream while I angerly
tried to figure out the problem
2) Fortunatly I had my factory manual that I just bought. good on procedure
bad on troubleshooting. and went ot work on the Digijet (that I am not too
familiar with)
3) I basically just diconnected something tied to start it, then reconnected
it and tried to start it. Eventually I connected both plugs together off of
the "idle stablizer" and the van started with trouble. When I got to my my
moms home I stoped it and it started right up. no problems.
I also noticed that both times the van sat about the same time with me
troubleshooting it before it started on its own. Maybe I am not fixing
anything just allowing the thing to cool down? What do you all think is the
problem and how to proceed. I have to leave on friday by plane and my wife
will drive the van back alone. I am nervous about this unless I am sure of
this ON-AND-OFF problem.Help
