Vanagon EuroVan
Previous messageNext messagePrevious in topicNext in topicPrevious by same authorNext by same authorPrevious page (July 1999, week 4)Back to main VANAGON pageJoin or leave VANAGON (or change settings)ReplyPost a new messageSearchProportional fontNon-proportional font
Date:         Thu, 22 Jul 1999 11:01:34 -0500
Reply-To:     "Pal, Robert" <RPal@CHW.ORG>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         "Pal, Robert" <RPal@CHW.ORG>
Subject:      Maiden Voyage (sorry - long)
Content-Type: multipart/alternative;

> Here is my story of our '84 Vanagon GL. I do have two questions after all > of this. > > We purchased an '84 GL in April for $650. It needed an exhaust system and > I slowly saved the money and spent the $325 for the parts. I found a > mechanic here in Milwaukee that would do the install for $60/hour labor. > It cost me $254 for labor and a couple bolts + tax. I picked the van up > on Friday (7/16). Just in time for a trip to Detroit to visit some > relatives. We didn't drive the van from the time we got it until the > exhaust was done. So, this trip was her maiden voyage for us as the new > owners. The PO confirmed that he hadn't even started the van in 3-4 > months prior to us buying it in April. He probably hadn't even driven it > regularly in the last 2-3 years. So, I would venture to say that this > trip to Detroit was going to be longest ride it has had in quite some > time. Especially at highway speeds. > > We left Milwaukee Sat. morn about 3:30 am. Drove through the biggest > storm I've ever been in. It was in the southern part of Milwaukee and > Racine. Pretty much drove through it by Kenosha. Hated every minute of > that. Tooled through Illinois at a pretty good clip. Took I94 through > downtown and picked up the Skyway over into Indiana. Got back on I94 in > Indiana just before it heads up into Michigan. Took it all the way to > Detroit. It handled nicely and drove well. I was following my dad and > was able to keep up with him at 75-80 mph. With stops for breakfast, gas, > rest area (for the kids) it took about 10 hours to get to Detroit. We got > to Detroit and as we were going through Detroit up to Bloomfield Hills, we > got stuck in a serious traffic jam. The van just died right there on the > highway. On a bridge. Bummer!! Since we were in stop-and-go traffic, My > wife got out and ran up to my dad's car and told him we were stuck. My > mom pulled their car off on the shoulder and my dad came back and helped > me push the van down the highway till we got off the bridge and could pull > over on the shoulder. Nothing. Just dead. We loaded up the necessities, > kids and us into my dad's car and finished driving up to Bloomfield Hills. > Dropped my mom, wife and the kids off at my uncle's and then he, my dad > and I went to this local Amoco station there in Bloomfield Hills and had > them tow the car to the Amoco. $35 hook up fee, plus $3.50/mile. Total > towing bill was $77. They were closing for the day (Sat.) and wouldn't be > able to look at it until Monday. It still didn't start after they towed > it to the station. I stopped back by later Sat. night and it started > right up. Hmmmm. So, I drove it over to the hotel where we were > staying. Sunday morning it started up fine and ran Ok. We were going > somewhere with my uncle and didn't want to trust the van, so we left it. > Later that night it started up again and would idle just fine. But, when > ever I put any pressure on the gas pedal it would die instantly. After > about 20 mins. of warming up it wouldn't die instantly, so I tried to > drive it around the block a couple of times. It jerked and kicked like it > was trying to buck me off. Then all of a sudden it would take off and > drive fine. Everytime I had to come to a stop it would buck and kick like > mad when I started off and then eventually run fine. So, I ended up > taking her back in to the station on Monday morning. > > They figured that it was the alternator and alternator belt. $347 to put > in a new one. That's going with a $199 "rebuilt" alternator instead of > the $711 new one from the local VW dealer (which would have taken 4 days > to order from TX). That seems to have been it. Drives good again. We > got on the road leaving Detroit around 4:30 pm and stopped in Battle Creek > for some dinner and let the kids run around. Get back out to leave and > the van won't start. Nothing. Not even turn over. Just "click." I > thought possibly a loose wire. I jiggled every wire I could see and made > sure they were all connected. Still nothing. Then, I just thought I'd > try anything, I stepped on the brake....nothing. Put it in neutral and > back in park....nothing. Jiggled the parking brake.....started right up. > We took off and stopped around 10:00 pm at a hotel and the same thing > happened Tuesday morning. Wouldn't start for anything. I jiggled the > parking brake again and it started right up. > > Two questions: > (1) Does this deal with the parking brake make any sense? Since I only > have to wiggle it a little, it seems like there is a loose wire somewhere, > but why would the parking brake have anything to do with starting the > vehicle? > > (2) Does what I describe about the van dying on the highway, > kicking/bucking furiously and then all of a sudden run smooth sound like > the alternator? I couldn't say anything to the mechanic because it > worked. After he replaced the alternator/belt it ran fine. >


[text/html]


Back to: Top of message | Previous page | Main VANAGON page

Please note - During the past 17 years of operation, several gigabytes of Vanagon mail messages have been archived. Searching the entire collection will take up to five minutes to complete. Please be patient!


Return to the archives @ gerry.vanagon.com


The vanagon mailing list archives are copyright (c) 1994-2011, and may not be reproduced without the express written permission of the list administrators. Posting messages to this mailing list grants a license to the mailing list administrators to reproduce the message in a compilation, either printed or electronic. All compilations will be not-for-profit, with any excess proceeds going to the Vanagon mailing list.

Any profits from list compilations go exclusively towards the management and operation of the Vanagon mailing list and vanagon mailing list web site.