Skip to main content
Gerry | Vanagon
Checking account...
← vanagon.com home · Continue the discussion in the forum
VanagonEuroVan
Subject:Question 1 - Vanagon 86, 2.1
From:Georgios A. Stylianides, PhD
Date:Thu, 3 Jun 2004 22:45:20 -0400

After an expensive repair and other fine-tuning stuff, it was time for
timing adjustment.

- 2250RPM, unplugged the Temp Sender, and turned the distributor left
and right a couple of times to get it perfect. At one of those turns
(probably more than needed), a puff of white smoke came out and the
loudest engine knocking noise I've ever heard. Turned off the engine
right away and took a big breath.

-put the key in and tried again. Engine was running fine without any
smoke or anything but the same very loud knocking noise. Broke our
hearts! Thought I did something huge ... pistons, bearings... or who
knows what!

-disconnected battery +, disconnected ECU, walked away ... came back and
connected them back again.

-started the engine and could still hear a very silent low noise

-decided to take it out of the driveway

-as soon as I got out of the driveway, the noise completely disappeared

-drove around and no problem. As a matter of fact, it drives the
smoothest ever!

The van hadn't moved for more than a month because of repairs
(alternator burned, and so did ECU). Apparently, rotating the
distributor caused something. I am thinking that it messed up the ECU.
For a moment I thought that the engine was all messed up. Also, a few
years ago, I heard a very low deep knocking noise that was not of major
concern. I replaced the Fram oil filter with a VW one and the noise went
away.

Questions:

What happened?

Low oil pressure?

Would the oil filter do something like that?

We are not going to have engine problems now, are we?

Have something to add on this topic today? Revive this thread in the forum »