The way those pins get mangled is from someone sticking test probes into
them while trying to solve some problem. I hope that wasn't you? I once
bought a non-running Vanagon cheap for parts. I ended up driving it home
after spotting and correcting the deformed contacts in the ECU connector
of the wiring harness. The seller did not look pleased but his wife was
smiling to see it go.

Mark

Evan Mac Donald wrote:

> I found an amazingly simple problem on my way to fixing this very issue. I thought the brain (ECU) had given up. I swapped in my spare, and viola, away we go. For about a day and a half. Then, it repeats. No start when hot.
>   This second time, though, I looked at other things while I am trying to swap brains. I looked carefully at the contact points in the harness connector for the ECU. I found most of them were not shaped correctly any more. They would not spring closed on the ECU blade contacts reliably any more. Some of them even had evidence of arcing. A few minutes with a small screwdriver, bending them CAREFULLY back into shape, and it was fixed. And best of all, there have been no repeats since! While I was doing this, I also pulled the connector at the distributor, and found the same issues with those leads. I am not sure which set of contacts was actually having the problem, but neither is unhappy right now!
>
> <snip>
>   Lastly.....one problem still exists preventing me from driving my
> darling gray ghost, that lies in its inability to start when warm.
> I've heard of this before, but have no idea where to start. It fires
> right up, then i drive it.....then i shut it down.....and it wont
> restart till it's totally cooled. I just replaced both Temp 1 and Temp
> 2 sensors. Fuel Pump? Fuel Pump Relay? I thought these cars were
> incapable of vaporlock. Fires right up when cool.
>
> -Craig
> '85GL Camperated Sunroof Van
> <snip>
>