Date:         Sat, 18 Sep 1999 02:14:08 -0400
Reply-To:     John <johnpatt@WARWICK.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         John <johnpatt@WARWICK.NET>
Subject:      Re: Towing, Anyone? (long)
Comments: To: 2 Tow Joe <twotow@DOGS-LIFE.COM>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

2 Tow Joe wrote:
>
> Thought you may want to hear about our Westfalia adventure last weekend.
>

Tow Joe,

Sorry to read of your troubles with the Northern Cascades waiting for
you.............However "something" just doesn't make sense.

If the fuel system had enough pressure to rupture FI fuel line
repeatedly, the following should have been apparent.

1) Massive loss of power at all times ESPECIALLY at higher altitudes
and  lots & lots of black exhaust smoke ! With maximum system pressure,
the engine could flood and stop running and only airing the cylinders
and drying the spark plugs would allow restarting !

2) Catalytic converter overheat and failure. Under maximum fuel pressure
(perhaps 5 Bar), the cat should glow and smoke and self-destruct !

3) Excessive Fuel pump operating noise. Not a buzz but a screeching
that  comes from the fuel pump internal overpressure valve blowing off,
a noise that is quite alarming. I don't think anyone could drive with
this noise present !

I would like to ask the following questions:

Was the old fuel lines replaced with FUEL INJECTION(FI) fuel line or
carburetor fuel line ?

Was the fuel line pressure & maximum system pressure checked (a standard
practice) following the fuel line replacement ?

What was the test pressure of the defective fuel pressure regulator ?

How many perfectly good Vanagons have been cursed and sold due to lousy
workmanship by jackasses pretending to be Vanagon specialists ?

Too bad you had to abort your trip to God's Country (AKA Northern
Cascades) but something doesn't add up here.....Fuel line renewal is not
that difficult and pressures high enough to burst FI line are unusual.

Regards,     JP