OTTOMH I'd say you've ruptured the fuel pressure regulator diaphragm. Pull
the vacuum hose off it and see if fuel squirts out the nipple.

HTH,
John Flaherty
Portland, Maine
'84 GL

----- Original Message -----
From: "�ric Giroux" <eric.giroux@NRC.CA>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Friday, June 29, 2001 3:24 PM
Subject: Van is down - help!

Bummer.. And I just spent $1000 on changing the coolant hoses, thermostat,
tune-up...

1- I go to start it this morning: it's cranking and cranking...nothing.  I
depress the gas pedal, finaly it starts with HEAVY white clouds of smoke,
strong gas smell.

2- I do 10km, it seems to be running fine. It dies at a red light at
idle.  I do as in 1 above to start again. More white smoke - gas smell.

3- I do another 20 km, it also seems to be running fine (110 km/h) it dies
again at a at yellow light.  I cannot start, I let it go through the
intersection and pull over.  I try to do as in 1 above, nothing.  I wait a
few minutes, try again and it eventually starts (starter on for maybe 15
seconds with gas pedal fully depressed) but this time people can see the
white smoke and smell the gas from miles and miles around, I almost fainted.

4- It finally dies for good. I go to the engine bay, gas had come out of
the exhaust pipe. All I hear now when I try to start is 2 revs of the
engine followd by a not-too-loud 'clunk' and then nothing.

5- I noticed the engine bay cover backing (sorta foam) has a gas stain
about a foot in diameter at the front left, but I have yet to see how it
happened.

6-  I had it towed to my mech, who is out until tuesday...

Any thoughts? I can remove bolts and somehow use a Voltmeter (enough to be
dangerous). The only think I did is unplug the vaccum hose, and it had a
small amount of fuel coming out.

�ric