Laurence,

As I go back and think about everything I have touched on this van in
the last few weeks I was thinking the same thing.  It is shortly
after the water pipe repair which included disconnected the temp
sensor wire that my problems started.  I will check that sensor and
connector out more closely.

Thanks,

Tim

>This may be a stretch ... but could the removal of your temp II sender
>on the thermostat housing somehow caused it some damage.  If so, then
>the resistence readings for the coolant temp as it warms up could be
>wrong.  The computer might think the engine is colder that it really
>is and set the timing incorrectly - which would cause a power loss
>problem.
>
>Laurence Smith
>Hamilton, ON
>90 Westy (fanumbos)
>
>
>
>>  -----Original Message-----
>>  From: Vanagon Mailing List
>>  [mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM]On Behalf
>>  Of Tim Marciniak
>>  Sent: Saturday, August 17, 2002 12:00 AM
>>  To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>>  Subject: Re: Loss of Power False Air Oil Breather?
>>
>>
>>  Here is more on symptoms:
>>
>>  Van starts fine.  When I press on the accelerator there is a
>>  hesitation before rpms increase on the tach, maybe a 1/2 second or
>>  so. This happens if engine is cold or warm.  Normally when
>>  I press on
>>  the accelerator the van is very responsive immediately.
>>  It idles at
>>  800rpm but it does not sound right, it sounds like it is missing to
>>  me but when I pulled the old spark plugs they looked ok to me, light
>>  tan to gray, they were not carboned up or oil fouled, I concluded no
>>  ignition miss, has to be something else.  It does not stall.  Sound
>>  out of the tail pipe is not right.  I guess the most
>>  obvious thing is
>>  the hesitation on acceleration and somewhat lumpy thumpy idle sound
>>  from the tail pipe whe I stand near it and listen attentively.
>>  Usually the exhaust sound is very pleasant to my ear when
>>  its running
>>  right.
>>
>>  Another thing to mention, about two weeks ago we went camping with
>>  the van.  Two days before we were to leave the metal water pipe on
>>  the drivers side of engine that goes from thermostat
>>  housing to water
>>  pump springs a leak.  The day we are set to leave I replace
>>  this pipe
>>  and off we go on a 3.5 hr drive up to Northern Wisconsin.  The only
>>  electrical connection I disconnected was the temp sensor from the
>>  thermostat housing when replacing this pipe.  Van runs fine all the
>>  way, I did note that it was running slightly cooler than usual, just
>>  below the red LED.  So 10:30 PM we pull into the park we are camping
>>  in to check in at the park office.  Van is off maybe 10 minutes.  We
>>  come back out it starts up I go about 10 feet and cant get
>>  the rpm to
>>  go much over 2000 and it stalls.  I'm really confused now becasue it
>>  just ran wonderfully for the last 200miles.  So I sit and
>>  let it idle
>>  erratically for a few minutes and then the idle finally smoothes out
>>  and I book for our campsite--what a way to start a 5 day camp trip.
>>  The following morning I start the van just to see how it sounds and
>>  its running but not its usual perfect self.  So I open up the engine
>>  compartment and start to check things out.  I immediately find the
>>  braided ground strap that goes from the block to the gound
>>  point near
>>  the coil is almost split, so I secure with some duct tape and hope
>>  that will hold till I get home--it did.  I also disconnected the O2
>>  sensor to see if that helped and it seemed to.  I drove the van for
>>  the next five days and it got us back home 65mph all the way.  A
>>  little nerve racking but the van ran pretty good considering the
>>  initial problem I had our first night up north.
>>
>>  When we get home from camping the first thing I do is replace the
>>  ground strap.  At this point I think the van was running fine but I
>>  cant be positive now.  About 3 or 4 days ago I noticed this
>>  hesitation and thats when I did the tuneup and started
>>  poking around.
>>  Last fall I put a new exhaust system on the van including new O2
>  > sensor and catalytic convertor.  It has run fine all winter, spring
>>  and summer and only since the camping trip has it started to act up.
>>
>>  Because the vanagon is so under powered I sometimes mistake a real
>>  problem for its assumed lack of power or vice versa.  Its when I
>>  really stop and listen that I pick up on problems like this
>>  one.  The
>>  van has 100k miles on it and all maintenance has been done
>>  by me with
>>  the exception of the heads that were replaced at 70k by a very
>>  competent vanagon mechanic.
>>
>>  I have not measured fuel pressure yet thinking it was
>>  ignition system
>>  related.  Nor did I check ignition timing or even play with that in
>>  two years.
>>
>>  Thanks for your reply as I contemplate my next step.
>>
>>  Tim Marciniak
>>  90 Multivan (Automatic)
>>
>>
>>
>>  >Tell us more about the symptoms and less about the things you did.
>>  >Loss of power when? Under load? On acceleration? All circumstances?
>>  >Does it idle correctly?
>>  >Is the fuel pressure correct?
>>  >When did this loss of power start, all at once following some DIY
>>  >futzing, or gradually over time? If it started all at
>>  once, what did you
>>  >do just prior? If gradually, what has been different in the
>>  >circumstances lately? Hotter weather? New gas station? New
>>  teen driver
>>  >with access to the Van? Carrying an 18-ton commemorative
>>  anchor from
>>  >your trip to the USS North Carolina Battleship Memorial?
>>  >
>>  >From the tiny bit you described, I'd guess the timing is
>>  off, you have a
>>  >clogged filter (could the air filter have gotten wet?) or
>>  your Catalytic
>>  >converter is melted/fused and plugged.
>>  >
>>  >Developing business and guiding change since 1996,
>>  >
>>  >G. Matthew Bulley
>>  >Bulley-Hewlett
>>  >Marketing & Communications
>>  >Business: www.bulley-hewlett.com
>>  >AIM = IExplain4u
>>  >Phone: +1.919.658.1278
>>  >
>>  >
>>  >-----Original Message-----
>>  >From: Vanagon Mailing List
>>  [mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM] On Behalf
>>  >Of Tim Marciniak
>>  >Sent: Friday, August 16, 2002 4:31 PM
>>  >To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>>  >Subject: Loss of Power False Air Oil Breather?
>>  >
>>  >New problem just cropped up for me with my 90 Vanagon.  I seem to
>>  >have a significant loss of power both when engine is cold
>>  and warmed
>>  >up.  Recent maintenace included replacing the ground strap
>>  from block
>>  >to ignition coil, cleaning up contacts on the ignition coil, new
>>  >rotor, distributor cap, new spark plugs and wires, new air filter,
>>  >recent oil change.  Checked throttle position switch and
>>  this is ok.
>>  >Idle stabilizer is working.  I then checked for vacuum leaks and
>>  >replaced vacuum line from fuel pressure regulator to
>>  intake manifold
>>  >because this line looked suspicious although I think it
>>  was ok.  Next
>>  >I pressurized the intake system with air found a leak coming out of
>>  >the oil breather pipe.  This is the large black plastic pipe that
>>  >sits on top on the engine with a line that goes from it to the air
>>  >intake hose just after the AFM.  This black breather pipe is not
>>  >supposed to be vented in anyway to the
>>  atmosphere---Correct?  Because
>>  >of this I suspect I have an air leak into the intake
>>  system after the
>>  >AFM (false air) which may be leaning the air/fuel mix.  Has anyone
>>  >had problems with this pipe?  Mine seem to be leaking near the top
>>  >ridge just under what looks like a cap on this pipe but it is not
>>  >removable from what i can tell.  Any suggestions appreciated.
>>  >
>>  >TIA
>>  >
>>  >Tim
>>  >--
>>
>>
>>  --
>>

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