You can test bad ignition switch by taking off the cover from the steering
column and pulling off the plug on the right side and plugging a new switch
on it, this way you can turn it with a screw driver and test if anything is
amiss with the original switch.
Its sold for about $12.00.  I don't know the dealer's price.
Zoltan
----- Original Message -----
From: "Justin Mayrand" <jmayrand@METROCAST.NET>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Wednesday, August 30, 2006 1:13 PM
Subject: Re: sudden failure to fire

> Mine did this, it turned out to be a bad ignition switch.   ...JMM
>
>
> Justin M. Mayrand
> 1980 Westy "SuperVan"
>
> On Aug 30, 2006, at 11:32 AM, Woody Halsey wrote:
>
>> 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
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>
> --
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> 2006.08.30.
>