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Messages - KingBee
32
« on: April 30, 2010, 03:32:10 PM »
John's car corner has one waiting for me. Anyone want to go up to Westminster?
33
« on: April 27, 2010, 06:42:57 PM »
In an off posting conversation I had w/ Mr.Limbo, he told me how a Vanagon should act w/out the throttle switch plugged in.
Well, I'll be ... I never tried the 'unplug the throttle switch' AFTER I replaced the alternator wiring harness. Without the throttle switch plugged in, she runs perfectly w/out a hiccup (15 min test drive). If I get no hiccups over the next few days of driving, while awaiting my "new (used)" throttle switch, I'll declare the throttle switch and wiring harness as my culprits.
Thank you so much for the little, yet immensly helpful, info on how the engine will run without it plugged in!
34
« on: April 26, 2010, 01:15:06 PM »
What is a throttle switch? It's located under the throttle body, that's the thing that the gas pedal wire attaches to (used to be a carburetor). You can see the 2 Allen wrench screw tops if you lean over your engine and look down over the throttle body, you will see the 2 screw tops on a horizontal platform on the 'rear side' orientation. Without taking out the throttle body this is all you can see of the throttle switch.
Mine is basically fried. she gives jumping readings when she shouldn't and is causing havoc with my drivability, Decelerations etc.
I know I can open the VERY delicate switch and replace the wires and re-solder the whole thing ... but I'd rather not rely on my ability to open and rebuild a switch no bigger than a quarter. Something that a watch smith should work on.
Anyone have one or even a throttle body I can buy from you?
Know of a parts van? 86-91 has the same part.
35
« on: April 26, 2010, 01:03:17 PM »
I took the Vanagon to Fred in Barkhampstead, he knew his stuff and we went through everything .... EVERYTHING. Replaced just about every piece to determine the trouble. ECU, coil, pump etc all checked out (at least that's good to know) Then we did the 'shake the wire" test, then rocked the engine. Rocking the engine recreated the thing we experienced while driving (a studder). She only stuttered when torque from the engine was needed in generous amounts, up hill or even over bumpy roads. Found a frayed wire, respliced .... When all was said and done she drove great ... for a day. then, the same situation. At least this time it's slightly different. After hanging in the engine compartment with Fred for 6 hours getting a super crash course in Vanagon maintenance and how to diagnose the Vanagon Syndrome studder... (FYI-I can rebuild a 1600 air w/ my eye's closed, so this just brought it all home for me.) ... I ran though the checks again and found my throttle switch (the little click switch under the throttle body) is waaaaaay temperamental. Once in a while she gives an OMH resistance (3.3 to 8.  when the throttle should be open and the OHM should be at infinity. My guess is since there is a signal from the throttle switch to the ECU of 'resistance' the ECU goes into deceleration mode due to it thinking there is no throttle being given. In a nut shell, I'm looking for a throttle switch or even a throttle body that I'll take the switch off of. Got one you'd part with? This is what kept me from going to Shrewsbury for the Ward campout and the dust off. My kids and I camped in the back yard as a consolation prize. Please contact me of you have one. Signed, Desperately Seeking Throttle Switch.
36
« on: April 22, 2010, 01:21:16 PM »
oops, should have read
- 10-W30 synthetic oil. If going cross country, check your oil the EVERY gas stop till you're SURE your NOT buring through it fast. then check it at LEAST once a day while driving. & funnel
37
« on: April 22, 2010, 01:20:07 PM »
You are looking for a super crash course in Vanagon?
I don't want to shake a finger at you, but a little internet research wouldn't hurt.
Start with this site that you are on thanks limbo.
then try "thesamba.com" forum for more info and tips.
Here's what I can tell you in bullet points.
- 10-W30 synthetic oil. If going cross country, check your oil the EVERY gas stop till you're SURE your buring through it fast. then check it at LEAST once a day while driving. & funnel
- Don't punish your new Vanagon by making her go too fast till you know her. There may be hidden items she's just waiting for you to repair or keep up, when you get home. Don't make them appear while you are in Kansas miles from nowhere.
- bring a Screwdriver (both kinds), 8,10,13,17 &18 mm wrenches, pliers, locking adjustable wrench, camera
- COMFORTS: cups, tp, paper towels, handi wipes, swiss army style knife (you wouldn't believe how handy those things are till you have a bus/vanagon), a ground cloth is good to have (if you are in California pick up a mexican blanket. all the cool bus owners have them anyway), snacks for the stranded (granola bars and water in the bus at all times), cooler filled with beer and 4 cokes (bagel & creamcheez optional)
- keep a good attitude no matter what happens, it'll see you through. If the bus gives you trouble, she's really just asking for help so she can get you down the road.
- If there is a sign of trouble, DO NOT IGNORE IT. Pull over, and see if you can figure out what it is. If you can't, drink a beer from the cooler, take a breath or have a smoke and start looking through your manuals. Oh yeah, get a Bently Manual and have a laptop w/ you so you can reference the internet if need be.
good luck ... there's a reason we all do this stuff and you are about to find out why :^)
Goin' to hell in a bucket, but at least I'm enjoin the ride!!!
38
« on: April 21, 2010, 11:24:59 PM »
You won't believe the outcome .... it wasn't ANY of the usual items you might run into. A brittle wire from the starter solenoid to the alternator. I will tell the whole story in my next post in 24 hrs from this one.
39
« on: April 16, 2010, 04:50:44 PM »
MrLimbo, on your issue, did you check your Throttle switch for adjustment?
Did the new ECU help?
40
« on: April 16, 2010, 04:46:25 PM »
I seem to be talking to myself, but I know someone out there may get something from this.
When I ordered the O2 sensor from BusDepot, I discussed what was going on and the guy there gave me a tip. Spray your vacumme lines with WD40 and run it. If it runs for a while then gives you trouble later, check your lines as the WD40 would block a crack in the line for a while. I found a loose vacmme hose going to the fuel regulator as well, gave it a squeeze and sprayed the hoses down.
I can get down the road now. After a little while, about 1 &1/2 hours later I started to get a little buccking when jamming on the gas pedal. Looks like I'll be changing my vacumme hoses this weekend.
By the way ... yes I AM kicking myself for not going over the hoses earlier. Learn from my mistake.
I'll stop by later and let you fine readers know how things turned out! Trying to make it to the Pre-dust-off campout in MA!!!!
41
« on: April 16, 2010, 07:51:55 AM »
ARGH!!! I replaced the temp sensor and still the same cut out issue once the engine hit temp! Although now the temp sender hits 300 ohms only now before the cut out.
By the way, I hope I didn't hijack the thread. I was hopful by adding my experience it may give you ideas with whats going on with yours (and vicea versa).
Anyway .... Now I know it's not many things (AFM, O2, tempII, fuel relay) and more fingers point to the ECU. I found a used one on the Samba I'm going to order.
Anyone near Rocky Hill CT w/ a working ECU I could borrow for 20-30 minutes to see if my assumption is correct? Or ... I may have an extra ECU if that's not the problem lol !
42
« on: April 15, 2010, 09:39:16 AM »
I'm thinking about going to visit Fred in Barkhampstead at Mechanical Advantage if I can't get this fixed.
I looked him up on Google and the pic from the 'street view' shows about 1 Eurovan, 6 Vanagons, 4 beetles, several other VW's and imports in the yard. There was 1 review from a Vanagon owner with praise.
He also seems like a 'fix it' not 'throw parts at it' kind of guy when I spoke with him on the phone.
Anyone ever use him?
43
« on: April 15, 2010, 09:33:02 AM »
I have a similar "good weather blues" issue.
I have an '86 Weekender 2.1 standard. I have owned this bus for 1 & 1/2 years and have been fixin' her up over that time.
She is my daily driver, so we drove all but the worst weather days into work during the winter, no problems.
The first hot day, when it hit 85, she dies after 5 inutes of driving. So the tinkering began.
I did the cheap and easy things first. After checking the maintainance records I noticed she could use both a fuel filter( and O2 sensor see below). changed the fuel filter, shee needed it. Adjusted the throttle switch (whitch to my surprise was way out of whack). Same engine cut out issue, then came the miltimeter tests for volts and resistance. So far everything lookled good.
THEN ... One thing surfaced as a reoccuring issue.
CLUE #1 - Everytime the temp sender hit 265Ohms resistance the engine cuts out.
Per the Bently manual/chart 265 ohms is about 100degrees coolant temp. Upon internet research I discovered 265ohms/100 degrees is the signal for the Digifant system to go from taking the temp sender signal as a 'cold start' injection mixture to using the O2 sensor signal for the injection mixture. this is when I changed the O2 sensor. Same engine cut out occured.
CLUE # 2 - the radiator fan kicks in exactly 3 times before the stall. For about 10 seconds a time with a short 20second pause between each.
CLUE # 3 - what could possibly be another clue you may ask ... well ... I let the engine get to 100temp again, she cut out as expected, I unplugged the temp sender. Started her up again no problem except I need to nudge the gas pedal as she will not idel she stalls at full idel position.
Clue # 4 - now I'm looking at the temp sender with a 'stink eye' expression and decide to check her out some more. when the engine temp goes over 100 (I assume it's over as I ran it w/ the temp sender unplugged) I checked the resistance of the temp sender ... no signal.
OK ... you have the clues. Replace the temp sender? But if so, why does it stop having resistance at exactly the cut off point. Is that normal because it dosn't have to go higher?
Any ideas are appreciated as I sit w/ my head in the engine compartment doing my best Yosimite Sam impression turning curse words into gibberish as the kids play in the diveway.
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