Steve,

By any chance are you in western U.S. and specifically in CA?

Richard

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf
Of Steve Delanty
Sent: Monday, March 24, 2003 4:26 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: stalling problem

O.K. folks, this is the 3rd time this has happened now...

Driving along... on a hill. Go to give it some more
throttle, and... nothing... total loss of power. Let up on the gas
and it comes back.  Push down a bit and it goes away.
After a couple seconds it just gives up and dies.

All 3 times it has happened, the bus has been thoroughly
warmed up with at least 50 miles or more of driving. It has
always occurred on hilly terrain. Always going up hill, usually
on a pretty hard pull with the throttle down pretty far.
It just suddenly looses power and if you let up the gas it
comes back a little. Always I've had 3-5 seconds of
warning before it *totally* dies.

It feels just like when you run out of fuel in a carbureted
vehicle.

It's not a regular thing. It's been several hundred miles
between "incidents".

The first time it happened, I thought i was out of gas.
The fuel gauge was in the "red" zone and even after the
van had cooled off for 30 minutes it wouldn't restart.
I walked for gas, and after I put some in it started right up.
Out of gas, right?

The second time, the alternator light had been on for 50
miles. When it died, it wouldn't even attempt to crank
over because the battery was so dead. I just figured the
voltage had got low enough that the fuel pump or computer
couldn't cope anymore. I went home and got a fully charged
battery to put in it, and it started right up and drove home.

The 3rd time it happened (yesterday) I had 3/4 of a tank
of fuel, and a fully functional charging system.
There was no obvious reason for it to die.
It died going up a steep hill in 3rd gear. Same symptoms as
the first 2 times. I sat for 20 seconds or so until the panic
had subsided (we were way out in the boonies) and hit the
key. It started right up and we drove another 80 miles with
no further incident.

I'm in a bit of panic because I NEED it tomorrow for a 250
mile round trip drive.

I've changed the fuel filter (the old one didn't seem very dirty)
and checked electrical connections at the pump and at the fuel
pump relay. I don't think those things were the problem...

Any ideas?

Thanks much,
Steve