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.