Dave,
    Bad new.  Your coil is about to die. This is because of the
plugs you put in.  I've seen this a dozen times.  Those plugs
have killed more coils than I've ever seen any time in my life.
Replace the plugs with stock, and replace the coil.
     Now, you don't beleive me, right?  When its dead and you have
tryed a dozen other things like so many other pros, that I had
to strighten out, don't say I didn't tell you so....

            Eric                   86-VW4x4
            vw4x4@fyi.net          86-SS Syncro
            Pittsburgh, PA USA     1936-Chrysler
                                   92-Jetta GWC
            www.fyi.net/~vw4x4/vw4x4.htm

On Fri, 7 Nov 2003, Milo's Kitchen wrote:

> Howdy Folks,
> I bought a '91 Carat (automatic) in Oklahoma City while I was in school
> there, and drove it home to Pittsburgh Thursday and Friday, (1100 miles
> roughly). No drivability problems except in the first 50 miles or so, (a
> couple of bouts of low power, no bucking) which I wrote off to bad gas, and
> the rest of the trip was perfect. Tonight, (Friday, about 36 degrees out) my
> wife took it to pick up our son from the movies. She called me to say it was
> not turning over, she meaning it was not firing, when I thought she meant it
> was not cranking (flag terminal on starter sprang to my mind). When I got
> there, to check, I tried just reaching in and cranking it, which it did, but
> didn't start (fuel pump was operating). I then hopped in and floored the gas
> pedal, and it started instantly. My question is, do any of you find it
> necessary to use full throttle to get your van to start in colder weather,
> or is something else going on here? My wife has driven air and water cooled
> Vanagons for years, and the other two water cooled vans we have (when cold)
> will usually start using the partial (i.e., very little) pedal technique. I
> installed new Bosch Platinum tipped spark plugs prior to the trip, and had
> no problems Friday morning in Vandalia Illinois at 31 degrees. Any ideas?
> TIA,
> Dave Milo
>