Disconnecting my O2 senser completely cured this.  I have driven 2 weeks now
without the problem--it used to rear it's head within 20 miles from home. My
84 drives fine without the senser connected on the highway, but idles slow
and sometimes dies at a stop.  I just put my new o2 senser on today and the
idle is now great. WooHoo!
Jay

>Any help appreciated with the following:
>
>With a new engine and many new components (see below)
>on my '90 Carat  I've got intermittent
>loss of power, missing and hesitation
>in what is oft called the dreaded
>"Vanagon Syndrome"
>
>Symptoms-
>Starts and runs well most of the time
>but on occasion when at a stop, engine will
>start to miss and idle will climb and become erratic.
>
>During this period throttle does not respond.
>Repeated pumping of the throttle will
>eventually cause the engine to respond and
>van will get moving,although with much bucking
>and hesitation.  These symptoms show up anytime,
>regardless of how long the engine has been run.
>I'm not sure if this is a pattern, but if I've
>run the van on a long trip, park it for a
>few hours, upon restart it seems more
>likely to get the Syndrome.
>
>Of course, the symptoms will not reoccur
>for my mechanic.
>Capistrano VW went ahead and replaced the
>idle stabilizer and the throttle position switch,
>but the very next day the symptoms returned.
>
>-------------------
>Here's what's new on the Van
>(Although I know new parts go bad)
>
>Remanufactured motor (Fast German)
>Has VW ECU Harness Fix
>New Airflow Meter (Bosch part)
>New Ignition Wires
>New Dist Cap, Rotor
>New Air Filter (K&N Insert)
>New Temp II Sensor
>New Fuel Lines (in engine)
>New Fuel Filter
>New Idle Stabilizer
>New Throttle position switch
>New Catalytic Converter
>New Transmission
>FYI During recent smog check, passed with *very* low
>pollutants
>in a very strict California test only facility
>-------------------
>
>As a semi-informed lay person I'm thinking that it
>might be the ECU, but I don't want to spend $600+
>on another gamble.  I've already dumped (invested?)
>a lot of money on this van to make it
>my main machine.
>
>I have to admit, I like this Van, but my days as a
>vanagon owner are numbered if
>I can't solve this.
>
>Help ;)
>
>
>
>=====
>Darrell Johnson
>Mission Viejo, CA
>1990 Vanagon Carat
>(w/LT27X8.5-14 Dunlops)
>
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