I was plagued by this problem with my 84 shortly after I bought it in August
of this year. The van would run fine and then (usually in the heat of the
day or in traffic though once on the freeway) it would lose power and stall
only to restart fine after sitting for 5-10 minutes. The problem occured
with increasing frequency and lead to rough running when cold etc. I finally
isolated the problem by disconnecting the O2 sensor and the problem
completely vanished.

I bought a new O2 sensor from Ken at Vanagain and while replacing it today I
found a badly worn spot on the wire where it was most likely hitting the
chassis. I replaced the sensor anyway and will add the old one to spare
parts for myself or another soul in need. The real kicker is it took all of
5 minutes to completely remove that wire for inspection. My lesson learned?
Heed the advice of the list archives and check every wire and connection
twice. Remove the wire if possible for inspection.

----- Original Message -----
From: "K G" <ppg1@HOTMAIL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Tuesday, October 01, 2002 10:52 AM
Subject: 1.9L loss of power, stalling

> Hi List,
> i am having troubles again...here are the symptoms.
> Loss of power, or like the van is getting no fuel sometimes. It has
happened
> cruising the freeway at 75 mph, and sitting at a stoplight waiting to
turn.
> It has happened about 5 times since on my drive back to MN from IL on
> sunday.
> The first time the van did this, it was sorta hot outside, cruising the
> freeway at 75mph, finally had to pull off the road, and i found the
> alternator to be loose in the mounting bracket, and I unplugged and
> replugged the TEMP II connection thinking that was the problem.  Then it
> started up again and drove normally for another hour or so, then it
started
> loosing power again.  after wiggling wires around, it started up and we
were
> back on the road again with no problems all the rest of the 7 hour drive
> back home, even getting stuck in some stopped traffic twice in WI. by this
> time it was cooler outside, and I noticed when we were sitting in traffic
> that the front radiator fan was running and cooling the van.
> and yesterday, after sitting in traffic and at stoplights in town, van
> decides to quit and not restart in the middle of an intersection for about
5
> min, then it started right up.
> Let me know if I am on the right track here, the van seems to run normally
> until the temp needle is just barely over the top of the red light in the
> center of the temp guage.  usually, the radiator fan comes on about then.
> so, I think my radiator fan is not coming on when it is supposed to.  and
If
> it is not that, is there a way to test the temp II?  that one of the few
> parts on the van that has not been replaced in the 8 years I have owned
it.
> or the OX sensor?  replaced early spring of 2001. also new last spring
> plugs, cap, rotor, fuel pump, fuel filter, and fuel pressure regulator.
> thanks for any ideas,
> Kim
>
>
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