When my Diesel Vanagon caught fire I just replaced a bunch of fuel hoses,
connected a lead to the shut-off solenoid and ran some jumper cables from
the starter to the battery.   So no, it does not *need* an alternator to
run.  I will say that it was not running in top form under that condition.

At 01:43 PM 11/3/01 -1000, Andrew M Fox wrote:
>My question is if the alternator fails on a vanagon can you keep the
>engine running assuming you don't need headlights or any other accesories?
>I know that on some cars the EFI uses electricity so if the alternator
>goes you have a limited amount of time before there is'nt enough
>electricity to to run these critical engine electrical systms.  If you
>can't run the engine without proper voltage does anyone know what the
>electrical draw is of the vanagon engine, ie how long can you go before
>having to get a tow or switch to your alternate battery (if you have
>one).  Recently on a long trip my alternator stopped working.  I was able
>to drive but when i stopped for gas and tried to start it again there
>was'nt enough juice for the starter.  I used my auxillary battery to
>jumpstart the van and was on my way.
>
>Thanks,
>Andrew Fox
>86 Westy
>Ft. Collins CO