Todd,
A few of the larger component's solder joints  experience mechanical fatigue
and develop a hairline crack. A few minutes with a soldering iron and it
should be good to go.
Ken Lewis
86 Transporter Crew Cab
60 356 T-5 Porsche
http://neksiwel.20m.com/
Vanagon tech, pixs, O2 monitor gadget
----- Original Message -----
From: "Todd Last" <Rubatoguy@MINDSPRING.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Sunday, February 08, 2004 1:23 PM
Subject: Intermittant cut-out

> Hello Vanagonites.
>
> My '88 camper has had the intermittent cut-out that is often described
> on the list.
> Specifically, drive a few miles and then the engine will act as if
> someone has cut the ignition or fuel.
> Sometimes flooring the gas will allow it to recover.
> Usually it will act this way for a few minutes and then recover.
>
> My Vanagon started doing this more and more consistently until one day
> it would not start at all.
> I initially thought it might be the relays in the black box on the
> driver's side of the engine compartment - but this was not the cause.
>
> By swapping out parts I discovered that the ECU was the problem.
> I put in a spare ECU I had and it started right up, no cut out, and it
> even cleaned up a rough idle I was experiencing.
>
> It seems odd that this component would fail. I've not taken it apart yet
> to see if I can discern what component might have failed.
> I suppose it could be a wire in the bundle going to the ECU that simply
> by installing a new one, the wire was moved to make connection again.
>
> One thought. I had done the capacitor fix to the AFM that has been
> mentioned on the list.
> Has anyone else who has done the capacitor fix had their ECU
> subsequently fail?
>
>
> regards,
>
>
> Todd
> '88 Westy
>