I regularly drive from Phoenix (1500') up to the Flagstaff area (8000') and
notice no difference in performance form one location to the other.  I have
driven the high route through Rocky Mtn. Nat'l Park @ around 13000' and
though my body wasn't working too very well (pant, pant), the van still ran
just fine.

This all with a 1.9 in an '85 Westy.

I'd start by looking at the O2 sensor.

Karl Wolz

----- Original Message -----
From: "John Klun" <jklun@GJ.NET>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Sunday, July 01, 2001 9:57 AM
Subject: Re: Tough driving(thin air)

> Hey all!
>
> I live at 5000' and drive a stock 1.9L WBX (rebuilt 10,000 miles ago.)
There is
> nothing special about it.  I get between 22.5 and 25.5 mpg local and
highway.  I
> have pegged my speedo on a flat interstate (5,000' plus alt.).  I take
regular
> trips to see our grandson who lives at 7700'.  In between there are two
passes
> of about 8000' each.  In between these passes are valleys with steep
climbs and
> descents.  Depending on which direction I'm driving, I climb in 3rd and
keep the
> speed around 55-60.  In the other direction I can almost do one of the
climbs in
> 4th around 50.  The rest of the way, the road is fairly flat with the
speed
> limit of 65.  I drive it between 65-70.  From house to house it's 95 miles
one
> way.  It takes me between 1.5 and 1.75 hours to drive that distance,
depending
> on traffic.
>
> When driving at 7700', I don't notice any difference in power or gas
mileage.
> Since it is electronically fuel injected, the engine compensates for it.
You
> must be driving air cooleds or you have a problem with your fuel and
electronic
> systems.  By the way, I have never driven this WBX at sea level...
>
> Bob Nugent wrote:
>
> > Speaking of Santa Fe, that's where I live.  I've always referred to the
> > altitude here as a "reverse turbo". I suspect that if I could get the
engine
> > power clear up to zero, (sea-level performance, that is) I'd be able to
live
> > with the 2.1 WBX . I think 4 or 5 lbs. of boost would probably
accomplish
> > that. Anybody know of a small supercharger system that would work in
that
> > range -- and integrate with the fuel injection system? I can't see how
that
> > would put more strain on the engine than running it at sea level without
a
> > blower. Any ideas?
> >
> > Bob
>