Pat,

What year vanagon has points? If the stock distributor has been swapped out
then what may be your problem is this. On cars that had 12 volts and points
there was a resistor that dropped the voltage to six and when you were
cranking there was 12 to the coil by bypassing the resistor for a hotter
spark for starting. The reason they didn't run the coil at 12volts all the
time was that the points would burn. Some coils had resistors built in. As a
experement go to flaps and get a "ballist resistor" for a older Chrysler
products car. They were ceramic screwed to the firewall and had  screws for
wires. You'll need new points, sorry, but this may be your problem.

Joe

----- Original Message -----
From: "Patrick Callaghan Jr." <patcal@qwest.net>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Friday, May 11, 2001 8:32 AM
Subject: I am stumped

> I am back on my recurring rough idle, heisitaion problem.  I had changed
the
> points & condenser about two weeks ago & the van ran great.  Went up to
> central Oregon & back. All of a sudden the cutting out, rough idle &
> heisitaion came back.  I really do not want to buy another set of points &
> condenser.  I checked & after 2 weeks there is already some sign of
burning
> on the points.  Is this normal?  If you look at some of my old posts you
> will see I have replaced or tested almost everything.  I am getting a
little
> discouraged here.  Camping season is upon us & I am spending most of the
> time working on my van instead of driving it.  Any ideas?  Would I get 2
bad
> condensers in a row?  Would installing a Pertronix help?
>
> Pat Callaghan
> 82 Westy
> Portland, OR.
> http://www.users.qwest.net/~patcal
>