Joy, perhaps you should get a Digitool. These connect to the fuel
injection harness and provide lights for major functions as well as
voltage readings for the various sensors. It has a long enough cable
that you can watch the readings while you drive or while you try to
start the engine. I have fixed a bunch of 86+ Vanagons quickly by using
this. They only cost about $150 with a little fine print involved.

There are a bunch of common things that can cause your problem. Most are
easy and cheap to fix. What costs big money is paying someone else to
figure out what cheap fix is needed.

When you first turn the key to on do you hear the fuel pump buzz for a
second or 2 and then stop? This is the normal behavior but many things
have to work for it to happen. On a Syncro listen at the driver's side
wheel well while someone turns the key to on a few times. Each time
there should be a brief buzzing as the ECU tells the pump to pressurize
the system for starting. If no brief buzzing is heard, time to open the
engine lid and get out the voltmeter. Let me know and I will walk you
through things to check.

Mark

Joy Hecht wrote:

>So, I finally get back on the road, made it from Boulder to Walsenburg,
>Colorado.  It's quarter to seven in the morning, and Matilda won't start.
>She started once, then the engine died.  Now she turns over but won't start.
>
>Suggestions?  Anyone know of a decent mechanic nearby?  I see from Larry's
>list a couple in Colorado Springs (further than AAA will tow, I'm almost
>sure, though maybe wrong?)
>
>Is this something that a non-VW mechanic should be able to handle?  Any
>suggestions?
>
>
>Joy
>
>*******************************************************************
>Dr. Joy E. Hecht
>Consultant on Environmental Policy and Information
>
>Email:  jhecht@alum.mit.edu
>Phone:  1-202-494-1162
>
>*******************************************************************
>
>
>