My 1988 Vanagon Wolfsburg w/4 speed started acting up yesterday after it
warmed up.

It lost a lot of power...I'd step on the gas pedal and she'd barely
go...it seemed better if I didn't press hard. Wasn't the clutch.

Seemed to be a bit of black smoke in the exhaust.

I took it back home and put it in the garage and had to take my wifes
Volvo for the Sunday drive...how boring....but a safe vehicle.

Then last night, I decided to try it again. I went out and started it and
it ran fine...until it warmed up and went off the high warm-up idle. Same
loss of power situation and it was idling slow and rough.

Took it back home to the garage, got out to open the garage door and
bingo, the idle smoothed out, and I took it back out on the road and it
went fine!!!!

Got up this morn and she started fine and went well even after it warmed
up.

I checked the archives but I'm still not sure what it is...

Any advice would be great.

Thanks,
John Wallace
Rumford, Maine
88 Vanagon Wolfsburg 4 speed
123,000 miles