Date:         Thu, 30 Jan 1997 17:47:42 -0800
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         bayer@sybase.com (David Bayer)
Subject:      Re: What next? ... GREMLINS STILL OCCUPY 80 CA VANAGON

>| >    This weekend I'm going to remove the distributor and take a look at
>| > the hall control unit wire that reside in the black plastic elbow and check
>| > them out. I'm running out of ideas. since I've taken it to two vw
>| shops(one
>| > being the dealer! @#$%^%$##@@!) and have gotten very different diagnosis.

	Remember, the problem in the elbow is that wires are joining the
metal parts of the connector for the distributor right over the metal body
of the distributor. Ok, that was vague, I admit. Basicly, there is no
insulation over the wires where they go through the plastic elbow which, if
it cracks, will allow the insulation free wires to slip down and contact the
body of the distributor grounding out the signal the ECU uses to sense rpm and
pistion position. No signal, no ignition and no fuel delivered producing the 
effect of the engine just shutting down, no misfires (unless the wires
contacted the distributor body for only for a second, like going over a bump,
or in some cases, the death of the engine cauing enough vibration to change
the angle of the elbow, breaking the connection between the wires and
the distributor body), the engine just dies.
	As the initial person who posted something about this said, it is
very frustating to track down because it is so sporadic and any test of the
distributor besides a visual inspection will not reveal the problem until it
occurs.
	A fix involves preventing the wires from grounding out either by
providing insulation between the wires and distributor body, replacing
the Hall Sender Plate if you can find them (volks motorsports can get them),
or replacing the whole distributor (try sticking a piece of electrical tape
between wires and distributor body before buying a new sender plate or
distributor). My tape is still in there after 4k miles... Someday I will
remember to fix it a little more properly (or at least more permenantly, where
is that silicone sealant)...

dave