It has been a busy year with the van, work, kids (is that the right
order of priorities?)... and I got into a mode of ordering maintenance
parts for the van and then sitting on them for awhile until I had time
to work on the old buzzard (van not wife).  So when the AT began giving
my wife some shifting problems and I posted a question, the logical
solution was to drain the AT fluid and change the filter (it was a
little dirty).  That did not help the problem.  So when she started to
complain  (wife not van) that the van was lacking power I decided to
put in those spark plug wires that I had been sitting on since June.
Well the AT problem is gone, the van runs well and I'm just hoping that
the van remains trouble free for the winter.
        So in hindsight I should have done a full tuneup (set the valves,
change wires, plugs, rotor, cap, air filter, oil filter, set the
timing) after the head gasket work I did in the late spring.  I did all
of that except for the wires, duh!!!. I'll try to remember that next
year, and to do it yearly.
        On the spark plug wire issue, I changed out a set that was two piece
(wire connecting to a right angle wire and boot that snaps onto the
distributor), with a one piece wire set (both Bosch).  I found the one
piece a little more difficult to get to snap onto the distributor, any
preferences /experiences out there? Additionally I have wire protectors
(plastic accordion type things) on all of the wires. Is plastic good
enough?  Especially considering that wires going to cylinders #1 & 2
cross?
        I would be interested in an explanation on why the replacement of the
wires cleared up the AT problem (can't be coincidental, no?) and on any
info on the related spark plug wire questions.

Thanks!

Dan Erlandson
Flemington, NJ
1991 Vanagon GL 180k
1999 Passat 1.8L 120k