Date: Wed, 17 Nov 1999 17:20:37 -0800
Reply-To: Mark Keller <kelphoto@ISLANDNET.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Mark Keller <kelphoto@ISLANDNET.COM>
Subject: Re: Help! It's raining & my bus won't accelerate.
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Hi Arlen,
I have seen this type of post over and over. It appears that the ECU gets
confused when a sensor, be it O2, coolant, or the wiring between the
devices gets waylaid by somthing. The key here is that truly different
problems appear from the same symptoms.
For me my problems seem to be related to a water in the fuel problem, since
my O2 coolant sensor are new. I've started to suspect water in the fuel, I
add Isopropal alcohol to my fuel and the thing runs fine.
I've purchased a Aquapower fuel water filter separator, $46 CDN, and will
report on that after it's installed.
I believe that this is the cheapest and most convenient thing to begin the
"trouble shooting process. BTW the water in the fuel "fools" the O2
sensor, so unplugging the O2 would just mask this symptom.
The "rain" could short the wires others have posted to you, but the "rain"
also means a much higher humidity in the intake air, coupled with water in
the fuel, they "exceed" the ECU's ability to correct the O2 sensors
readings by timing and the ECU shuts off the injector pulses.
Until I hear otherwise, I suggest that it is really water in the fuel that
is the main culprit for the "dreaded power loss". I'm not sure if the
souce of moisture is the fuel dealer, or my climate, or the massive venting
that occures when fuel from the tank is pump to the engine, and then
returned to the tank.
I believe at least one benefit from the "non-vented"
fuel tanks that are the norm on fuel injected cars is that moisture in the
fuel is reduced.
Sincerely,
Mark Keller
91' Carat Lazarus
In rainy Duncan, BC
se7en wrote:
> Hi Listees,
>
> I've recently purchased an '87 Caravelle that I am starting to restore.
> Everything has gone well so far except that since it has started raining
> here in Oregon, the more it rains the more often I lose all power from
> the engine. It doesn't completely die, It just won't come up off the
> idle (which is a bit rough). When I turn off the ignition and turn it
> back on it runs good for a few seconds but then shuts down again (no
> acceleration). It seems to be a fuel related problem. I've cleaned and
> lubed every connector I could find in the engine bay but no help. It
> certainly seems to be tied somehow to the humidity level of the air.
>
> Has anybody out there experienced this problem? There are a lot of
> Vanagons here in Portland. Any advice, suggestions or wild guesses will
> be appreciated.
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
> arlen in Rainland
>
> (I hope this works as it is my first attempt at a post here.)
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