How about a bad "lock cylinder". Mine had a similar problem and that was the
reason... Do you hear the fuel pump engage when you try to start?

LIVE LIFE...Dave Wilcox
85 Wolfalia
85 GL

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
Woody Halsey
Sent: Wednesday, August 30, 2006 11:33 AM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: sudden failure to fire

Dear All,

In the 20 years I have been happily driving my V'gon, through two engines
and more replaced parts than I care to think about, have gone through just
about every challenge discussed here over the years. The one thing my
beloved wagen has never done is fail to start. It has always fired up "au
quart de tour," as the French say. Until yesterday.

Here's what happened. Drove 40 miles to Logan airport, engine purring
through the all-new exhaust system. Parked. Went to a meeting at the airport
Hilton with the families of the students we were sending to Italy last
night. Retrieved van in parking lot and drove over to the hotel to pick up
colleague, wife, four kids and their 13 huge bags to check in and 8 small
backpacks to carry on. They marveled at the capaciousness of the V'gon. (I
took the middle seat out and carpeted the middle section years ago.) Drove
to the terminal. Unloaded. Turned key to return to parking lot. She wouldn't
start. Battery strong, engine turned over and over and over. No go.

Went home on the back of the AAA flat bed, dropping van of at garage.

This morning, she started right up the first time and the mechanic wondered
why I was there. But then it refused to start the second time he turned the
key.

So, does anyone have an explanation?

So far we know:

a)          Battery strong

b)        Plenty of fuel, no sign of fuel pump problems.

c)          Spark string at the distributor cap (but terminals inside
have heavy black deposits - I scraped them off with my pocket knife -
probably should replace no matter what.)

Theories to date:

a)          Something to do with temp? (Started up when cooled down this
morning ...?)

b)        Loose wire somewhere?

c)          Vapor lock somewhere?

All suggestions welcome. Many thanks in advance.

Woody

83.5 V'gon

Haverhill, MA