Date: Wed, 9 May 2001 10:35:31 -0700
Reply-To: KI <ki@cloudfactory.org>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: KI <ki@cloudfactory.org>
Subject: Re: soCal, Heat, Condensation, & Gasoline?
In-Reply-To: <3AF95D0C.EEF368F8@home.com>
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
i was told recently by a mechanic to get an AD Harness. not sure if this
is the same thing. it goes on the air meter as well i think. he said it
just converts the analog signal to a much cleaner digital signal? said it
would prevent the engine from stumbling. cost about $150.
ki
On Wed, 9 May 2001, mike and shari wrote:
> A few years ago in my "88 Wolfsburg I was on the road and mine began
> stumbling. I pulled into a VW mechanic and he sold me a static diverter which
> dirverted stray electrical charges from the air meter I believe. The real
> kicker was that it was sold just as a normal VW part, (should have been part of
> a recall). Anyway this 'wire harness' cost about $100 and took a chunk out of
> my road burrito budget , I was really pi**ed. It solved my problem though.
>
>
>
> Mike G.
>
> '87 Syncaru
>
>
>
>
> harald_nancy wrote:
>
> > Jeffrey,
> > Your post was a good description of what happened to
> > our '90 westy last time we drove to California from
> > Washington state.
> > Prior to entering California, our vanagon ran perfectly.
> > As soon as we entered California, the vanagon made a
> > couple of stumbles, but then ran ok again.
> > By the time we got to Death Valley, the stumbling
> > became totally annoying, and sometimes the engine
> > would almost stop running, even backfiring.
> > But then it would always start up again, and run ok
> > for awhile.
> > The vanagon always runs perfectly up here in Washington
> > and Oregon on both mountains and flat, heat and cold.
> > I was never able to duplicate the stumblings here.
> > I spent 3 whole days in Death Valley, trying to
> > figure out what was wrong with the vanagon.
> > Things I tried: cleaned all grounds and connectors,
> > checked ignition switch, interchanged a fuel pump with
> > a spare that I had with me, changed the fuel filter,
> > short-circuited fuel pump relay. I even bought a
> > new distributor in a San Bernadino VW dealership, since
> > one mechanic thought it was the Hall sensor.
> > (the '90 westy has the hall sensor inside the distributor.)
> > Changed spark plugs, distributor cap, and the vanagon
> > has an almost new AFM.
> > One theory was that maybe it was a clogged carbon cannister,
> > from constant topping off with gasoline.
> > Or maybe a vacuum in the gas tank?
> > So I drove without the gas cap for a bit.
> > Every time I did something, it seemed like I fixed it, because the
> > vanagon would run well again for a time.
> > But then later, the stumbling would start all over again.
> > We decided to drive it back home to Washington state,
> > despite the stumbling.
> > When we reentered Oregon, the vanagon ran
> > perfectly again, and has ever since up here.
> > Some wild guesses:
> > 1) my westy doesn't "like" California
> > 2) Static buildup on the afm.
> > 3) Mtbe, gas additive in California gasoline.
> > 4) Ecu was getting "warm", perhaps bad solder connection in ecu.
> > I put the capacitor in the AFM now, and sometime I'll have to take
> > another trip to California to test it. How about a 1,000 mile test drive?
> > Harald
> > '90 westy
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Jeffrey R" <Oxroad@aol.com>
> > To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> > Sent: Tuesday, May 08, 2001 10:30 PM
> > Subject: SoCal, Heat, Condensation, & Gasoline?
> >
> > > I'm fairly newly relocated to Burbank, CA in the SanFernando Valley (6
> > > months). I'm wondering if a problem with my bus can be due to climate
> > > conditions and if there's an easy solution.
> > >
> > > The problem:
> > >
> > > Occasionally and very sporatically my bus will stumble as if for a moment
> > > it's getting no fuel. Sometimes I'll be cruising at 3,000 RPMs and just
> > get a
> > > slight stumble as if I've taken my foot off the gas pedal momentarily. ( I
> > > have a 4 speed manual trans). Sometime maybe with this scenario the RPMs
>
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