Wait! Wait! Wait!
In the original Walter  message, he reports this started when his wife
accidently downshifted the auto at a high seed. Isn't there a vacuum
connection to the transmission? Could there be a connection?

just guessing,

tim in san jose

>
>It idles, but if you give it gas, it dies?
>
>Sounds like a bad vacuum leak.  Check to make sure the band clamps around
>the boot at the throttle body and the AFM are tight, and that the AFM is
>electronically connected.
>
>Good luck,
>
>Karl Wolz
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Walter Evens" <wrevens@MYEXCEL.COM>
>To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
>Sent: Friday, March 22, 2002 2:35 PM
>Subject: Re: Using American engines for Vanagon swap - why the heck not? -
>Long
>
>
> > Hi John:
> >
> > The Astro Van folks do not have a list like this (that I know of),
>however
> > they do have a web ring of sites where people post what they have done
>to
> > their vans.  They too have to make improvements like upgrade the
>computer
>so
> > you can go more than 3/4 throttle.  Some have even swapped their V-6s
>for
> > V-8s.
> >
> > You are right.  I took what I read as Vanagons being unreliable.  I
>guess
>I
> > expected it to be a balance of Pros and Cons and then read more bad than
> > good.  I didn't realize the list was a self help support group for
>Vanagon
> > owners.  Sort of a Vanagon Owners Anonymous. (It is Friday, right?)  The
> > only improvement I would make to this list would be to have a forum on a
> > site where you could go and read what you wanted and then make a post
>rather
> > than have 100 to 200 e-mails dumped in you in box every day.
> >
> > I may end up keeping my Vanagon for my vending route.  I just need to
>either
> > get it going my self or take it to the local fix it guy and have him do
>the
> > job.  We had snow on Monday.  I had to go "down the hill" Tuesday and
> > Wednesday.  Yesterday was sort of overcast in the afternoon and today is
> > really windy.  Unfortunately my garage is currently a mini-warehouse.
> >
> > I posted my problem to the list but really didn't get an answer so I'm
>just
> > taking my Bentley and trouble shooting.  It idles (when it starts) but
>it
> > won't go past idle.  When I press on the pedal I get nothing and then if
>I
> > let off the pedal, it dies.  I suspect, injectors or ECU.  So far I have
> > check the plugs for spark, which they have and checked the fuel delivery
> > rate and it fills a quart jar 4/5 full.  Next I was going to check the
> > injectors.  Again, the weather hasn't been too good for wrenching.
> >
> > Like I said, my experience with Vanagons (until this one) has been
>mostly
> > positive even with all the supposed idiosyncrasies.  I'm a week end Gold
> > Prospector and would love to eventually have a Westy Syncro with a
>trailer
> > made out of a Volkswagen pick up bed.  It would work much better than
>the
> > Astro Van with a tent trailer and a roof rack for my equipment.
> >
> > Have a great week end.
> >
> > WE
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: <jbrush@aros.net>
> > To: "Walter Evens" <wrevens@MYEXCEL.COM>; <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> > Sent: Friday, March 22, 2002 12:37 PM
> > Subject: Re: Using American engines for Vanagon swap - why the heck not?
>-
> > Long
> >
> >
> > > >a car and had to have something quick.  Besides the guy at the Bone
>Yard
> > > >told me most Vanagon owners have a second more reliable vehicle.  He
> > > >drives a T-Bird to work.
> > >
> > > One man's opinion. :(
> > >
> > > >tired of worrying about making it home if I drove it somewhere.
>Every
> > > >time I fixed one problem some other problem would develop.
> > > <snip>
> > > >front of my house waiting for me to fix it (the weather has been cold
>and
> > > >windy here in So Cal, believe it or not).
> > >
> > > >I have been on this list for about a month and a half.  I have read
>posts
> > > >from people with similar problems, fix it and then something else
>breaks.
> > > >People taking a trip (or even afraid to take a trip) and then
>complaining
> > > >about some sort of mechanical problem they encountered on the way
>home
>or
> > > >sometimes barely making it home.  People stuck in places like
>Northern
> > > >California or Texas because their Vanagons broke down.
> > >
> > > Walter,
> > >
> > > This list is here to help people who have problems. You won't find too
> > > many postings from people without troubles. There are countless
>numbers
>of
> > > Vanagons out here running like the proverbial clock, (my 81 is one of
> > > them) but you won't read much about them in this group. Sometimes a
>trip
> > > report validates the reliability of the Van, but if you are going to
>use
> > > what you read here to decide if your Vanagon can be trusted, you may
>as
> > > well just burn that thing to the ground, and get used the Chevy Van.
>These
> > > great folks are here to help people with trouble, what do you expect
>to
> > > find except people asking for help?
> > >
> > > If you want an idea of the health of the general population, and you
>go
>to
> > > the doctor's office or the hospital, you will come away thinking that
> > > everyone is sick and in need of surgery. If you hang out at the
> > > unemployment office, you will soon figure that everyone is out of
>work.
> > >
> > > For every person who has gone to Texas and had problems, there are a
> > > thousand times that number who have gone, and come back home with no
> > > difficulty.
> > >
> > > If there was a newsgroup for the Chevy Astrovan, it would be mostly
>filled
> > > with people needing help fixing this and repairing that, and your
>opinion
> > > of the vehicle might be altogether different.
> > >
> > > Just something to consider.
> > >
> > > Regards from Utah,
> > >
> > > John
> > >

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