Eesh, I just moved AWAY from Madison.

Intermittent Vanagon syndrome is caused by either an AFM potentiometer
that gets into a resonance pattern that breaks the connection (and
thus forces the ECU into a 'no-load' state) or a bad solder joint in
the ECU.  The VW-official fix for the former is a $190 cable to
stabilize the voltage that the ECU gets; the VW-official fix for the
latter seems to be "replace the ECU".

The not-so-VW-official fix for the former seems to be "solder a couple
of capacitors in the AFM", and the latter is "resolder the ECU solder
joint."

As for good mechanics in Madison... I can't really help all that much,
though there does seem to be one on Fish Hatchery or Park.   I learned
(almost) all I know from my roommate, who was getting technical input
from his coworkers. :)

-Kyle Hamilton

On Tue, 7 Sep 2004 17:52:52 -0400, Joy Hecht <jhecht@alum.mit.edu> wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> Matilda has been great for the past week and a half - had a lovely visit
> with my sister and her family near Ithaca NY, stopped briefly in Ontario to
> meet Tom Shiels and get my Vanagon.com stickers, had a splendid trip up the
> Bruce Peninsula between Lake Huron and Georgian Bay and across to Manitoulin
> Island on the ferry, did some lovely kayaking up around there, and then had
> a great four days at the Chippewa County Fair in the upper peninsula of
> Michigan, with the extended family of someone who came across my website and
> is planning to move into her Westy in the spring.
>
> Today, however, Matilda decided that she's tired of running at full speed
> and she's been cutting out on me.  We dawdled for 160 miles at around 50 mph
> to Marquette Michigan, which is a major metropolis after the places I've
> been the past week.
>
> She might be in fine form tomorrow, but I'm assuming this isn't going to get
> better.  I already had the fuel filter replaced before I left Virginia, and
> now I'm trying to track down a new-to-me fuel pump that someone offered me a
> few weeks ago.  I've also been looking at the directions on the web for
> addressing intermittent Vanagon syndrome.
>
> So now I'm looking for someone who might be able to give me a hand with some
> of these things.  Is there anyone out there in Wisconsin, roughly between
> the UP and the Madison area who might be willing to spend some time
> directing me on how to do things like check fuel pressure, change fuel pump,
> etc.?  I expect to be visiting a friend in Madison later this week, in case
> anyone is there.
>
> I also once dredged up info about a good Vanagon mechanic in the Madison
> area.  I could try to dredge that up again, but if anyone knows who that
> might have been, could you please let me know?  I'd rather do this stuff
> myself, though, with a bit of technical assistance, if I can.  I gotta learn
> somehow!
>
> Matilda works, albeit slowly, so hopefully I'm not going to be stuck in
> Marquette Michigan indefinitely.  But if anyone is near here, please do get
> in touch, that would be even better!  Phone is below, if you're around here,
> please do give me a call, as I'm going to log off soon.
>
> Thank you!
>
> Joy
>
> *******************************************************************
> Joy Hecht
> and Matilda, 1989 Burgundy Vanagon
>
> email:  jhecht@alum.mit.edu
> telephone:  1-202-494-1162
> for musings about life and the vanadventures:
> http://users.rcn.com/jhecht/gypsy
>
> *******************************************************************
>