I went through exactly the same thing with an 83 Air Cooled.
Here is what I found: A ground wire (white) was badly frayed and barley
making contact. Look under your drives side intake tubes and you should see
two white wires pinched into one push on terminal, you will also see one
white wire on a push on terminal. This is where I've found shorts.
Next I've found electrical shorts at the 4 pack resistor unit, again frayed
wires.
Next I've found injectors not firing because the push on terminals were not
tight.
Hope you can find the problem with these free fixes.

Stan Wilder
Engine Ceramics
214-352-4931
www.engineceramics.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "marc milobinski" <marcmilo@YAHOO.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Wednesday, August 31, 2005 8:59 AM
Subject: vanagon bucks, stalls, stays dead

> Our 81 air-cooled has had a very slight intermittent
> bucking for some time.  On longer trips it might give
> one slight little hesitation but recover right away
> and drive fine for weeks.
>
> Last night it started to really buck...I would push
> the clutch in, give a little more gas, and it seemed
> to recover.  Finally, after one large buck, it stalled
> and wouldn't start back up.  I ended up pushing
> (luckily it was only .25 miles and fairly flat) it
> home.
>
> Checked for sparks and fuel pressure before it got
> dark and both looked good.  Grounds are all clean.
> Pulled the plugs and they looked dry...shouldn't they
> at least have been moist after a bunch of cranking but
> no starting?  Maybe the injectors are not being told
> to open by the brain box?  Any ideas on where to check
> next or what could be the cause?
>
> Thanks.
> marc
>
>
>
>
>
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