It took me a month to get to it but last week we finally had a little
sun in our skys and I felt good enough to ripe into the engine
compartment.  Since winter has hit my mileage has been in the toilet.
16-18 mpg.  The idle has been surging and the temp reading has take
about 20 minutes of freeway driving to get to the mid range.  I
replaced the temp II sensor last summer so I didn't think that was
it.  In reading the Pro Manual I found that the ECU keeps an extra
rich mixture until the engine warms to normal operating temps.  With
our abnormally cold temps of late this just hasn't been happening on
most trips of the Vanagon.

It took a couple of weeks to get a new themostat out of Bus Depot but
last week I popped a new one in.  BINGO!  It goes right up to a hair
above the warning light in the temp gauge.  The surging is gone.  The
mileage has returned to the 20 mpg range.  Interesting the differnce
a few degrees can make.

Pray for spring!

Steve Blackham
Centerville, Utah
87 weekender
77 transporter converted to camper