Something easy to try would be to disconnect the 02 sensor and run it in
open loop when this happens. Maybe the sensor or connection is grounding and
telling the engine it is running lean.  As always, be careful around water
and electricity......

Mark Ingalls
85 GL

----- Original Message -----
From: Christopher Darilek <cdarilek@DAXCONTROL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Thursday, March 01, 2001 10:59 AM
Subject: bearly runs w/ water on road pt2

> Thanks for the replies I've got privately with this matter.  All refered
to
> an electrical problem in the ignition circuit.  Well, it happened this
> morning to me on the way to work, it was raining.  I was mistaken when I
> first said it was running on 2 cylinders.  While it was puttering this
time
> I ran around back and hooked my timing light to each spark plug and
observed
> all 4 sparking, they still sparked when I'd opened the throttle, but still
> the idle didn't respond to throttle - just sat there putting.  Blackish
> smoke did come out the exhaust with the throttle open, but idle didn't
> increase, it just rumbled.   The engine has less than 5000 miles on it.
The
> idle would slightly change when I pulled any spark plug wire.  After a few
> minutes the engine came back alive and I drove the rest of the way to work
> with the engine hatch off, but this gave me no more clues.  Any advice?
>
> Thanks!
> Christopher
> 81 westfalia
>