Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 22:54:59 -0500
Reply-To: Carl Krucke <ckrucke@AWOD.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Carl Krucke <ckrucke@AWOD.COM>
Subject: I'm rich, filthy stinking rich...
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
So rich in fact, I can't drive the thing...
82 Vanagon L was cruising merrily along at a pretty good clip a couple weeks
ago, when I suddenly lost power and started blowing huge clouds of dark
smoke, proportional in density to throttle position. Limped a few more
miles and eventually parked it. Was able to restart it a couple times, but
it skipped and stuttered and smoked heavily, definitely wouldn't idle. Rode
home with the flatbed driver. For the day, about 40 miles on a fresh tank
of gas, and it was down to nearly a half tank when the sun fell.
I had some help finally today (my 6 year old daughter was off from
school...) so I dug in and did a compression check among other things. I'm
sparking well at all 4 cylinders, and timing is okay. Before I started, I
was able to crank it up again, for about a minute, to get the valves pumped
up, the couple of clackers quieted down in about 30 seconds, but it was
still stumbling and smoking something fierce, as before, more with harder
mash on the pedal.
I pulled the plugs, all 4 were heavily sooted, but dry. #1 had a little
burnt oil evidence, but it wasn't wet with it. #3 had just a touch too.
Compressions were (in order 1234) 140, 165, 150, 165. A lot of variation,
but useable for now, I guess.
Put some fresh plugs in. Had the gal turn it over while I throttled it from
the engine compartment. It started easily, but ran the same as before,
stumbling and smoking, more so when I applied more throttle, and still
wouldn't quite idle on it's own. (this is the filthy stinking part, putting
my hand by the exhaust to feel pulses, getting fuelish and sooty for my
efforts...) Anyway, I took the cap off the AFM and used my free hand to
push the arm towards lean. By playing with that, I could make it run smooth
and clean at any speed, by pushing it clockwise, somewhere about a quarter
or an eigth of an inch at the contact point. Nearly got a good idle out of
it, but would have had to push the thing so far that the fuel pump shutoff
switch would open, at which point it of course would stop.
I am soliciting any recommendations for starting points, and would also
welcome any similar experiences offered from the list.
Thanks,
Carl Krucke
82 Vanagon L
83 GTI
86 Scirocco
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