At 05:12 PM 08/28/2003, you wrote:

>HELP List experts,
>
>I was trying to help out a fellow Westy owner here in Rochester and was
>not able.
>
>This is an 88 westy with 75K miles.  On the NY thruway heading for
>Roachester this poor guy had what I perceived as the Vanagon Syndrome....
>but not.
>He started missing, spitting coughing and running very rich.
>He got off the thruway and limped home at 10 mph. I went over last night
>to try and bail him out with my wisdom and spare parts..
>
>SO at this point my VW Vanagon expertise is dried up.  I am perplexed and
>told him to take it to one of the local shops (which none really have
>Vanagon and Vanagon Syndrome type of experience).
>
>Any help from the list experts or insights on where to seek the problem
>would be great and I could regain dominance on these wasserbrainteasers.

Today I diagnosed a late vanagon. Complaint was high idle. I verified
compression, fuel pressure and regulator, temp sensors, AFM, plugs, vacuum
leaks. Only thing I found not in spec was spark plug wear. Oxy was fluxing
nicely but plugs were black with carbon and I could smell over rich. Found
a crack in one of the exhaust pipes. Unmetered oxygen getting sucked into
the exhaust was registered by the oxy sensor and telling the computer too
lean, so the computer was giving the injectors too much fuel.