Check the usual maintenance stuff: plugs, cap/rotor/wires, timing,
dwell, fuel pressure, valve adjustment, and compression.

If all those check out (which I virtually guarantee, one of these is the
prob) then you have a fuel system fault, like injector #5, or a clogged
Fetzer valve, worn clutch belt, or wallowed Kuhneutson bushings.
Sometimes the piston return springs get loose in cold weather.

wink,

G. Matthew Bulley
Bulley-Hewlett
www.bulley-hewlett.com
AIM = IExplain4u
+1.919.658.1278
"Fax mentis incendium gloria culpum"

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM] On Behalf
Of 80 Westy Pokey
Sent: Saturday, November 16, 2002 11:45 AM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Air Cooled Vanagon Won't Start in cold weather

Here in Toronto it is -4C or -10C with the wind chill, I am
not sure what that is in degrees F but trust me its cold. I
have been having this problem for a while and today it
finally gave up.

I can hear the van turning over but it doesn't "catch". If I
keep my foot on the throttle and keek the key turned to
start the engine almost, but doesn't quite, start. When it
was slightly warmer the same thing was happening but it
would eventually start.

Any ideas?

Thanks,
Chris