That is a brilliant idea.

On Dec 4, 2007 10:05 AM, Michael Elliott <camping.elliott@gmail.com> wrote:

> Thanks, Chris -- my TPS is working fine. I have an LED wired across it
> in the front cabin right now (part of an earlier project). It goes out
> when the foot is off the pedal, indicating that ECU Pin 4's 5V is being
> shunted to ground through the switch.
> --
> Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott
> 71 Type 2: the Wonderbus
> 84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana")
> 74 Utility Trailer. Ladybug Trailer, Inc., San Juan Capistrano
> KG6RCR
>
> On 12/4/2007 9:59 AM Chris Lisica wrote:
>
> > The shuddering, and rpm dropping remind me of when my throttle position
> > switch was not set properly. Your not starting also reminds me of my TPS
> > not being set properly. Check your TPS, does it do the 'click' when you
> > rotate the spring loaded lever? Get your hands on the digifant manual,
> > and go through setting the TPS properly. It is not that hard, and can
> > solve many problems. Having an ohm meter, helps determine if it's set
> > properly or not. Worked for me.
> >
> >
> > On Dec 4, 2007 9:07 AM, Michael Elliott <camping.elliott@gmail.com
> > <mailto:camping.elliott@gmail.com>> wrote:
> >
> >     Where be the best place to spritz the WD-40 when the engine is wet
> and
> >     cold and doesn't want to spark?
> >
> >     To answer your question about how the engine ran after started, the
> >     engine
> >     ran fine, with one exception which I think is an unrelated side
> issue:
> >     When the engine is cold (even 75F cold) it has this odd behavior
> >     where it
> >     doesn't want to continue to idle. Typically, this means that I'll
> leave
> >     the house (or school parking lot, or wherever) and trundle along for
> >     two,
> >     three minutes, get to a red light and wait. After about 20 seconds
> >     or so,
> >     the engine kind of "shudders" -- you can feel it in the seat. Then
> the
> >     rpms start to drop, lower and lower, like the engine is missing. If
> >     unattended, it will die -- although it will start instantly.
> >
> >     My O2 monitor tells me that the mixture is fine. When I see this do
> this
> >     with a timing light, the timing marks starts going spastically all
> over
> >     the place.
> >
> >     Once it gives its warning shudder and the tach starts wobbling
> >     downward, a
> >     slight pressure on the gas pedal to raise the speed to 1,000 rpm or
> so
> >     suffices to keep it from dying while waiting. After about 5 seconds,
> >     the
> >     engine will suddenly and smoothly rev to about 2,000 rpm.
> >
> >     Once warm, the engine doesn't do this.
> >
> >     When I got to the top of the mountain last week, I paused to talk to
> the
> >     campground host, discuss which sites were open, whether the water
> was
> >     turned on, whether the flush toilets had been shut down (they were,
> >     it was
> >     outhouse time for Mr Squirrel), the weather forecast, etc. While
> >     chatting,
> >     the engine slowed and died. It started at a touch of the key.
> >
> >     After it eventually started that cold, wet morning it didn't want to
> >     idle
> >     long enough for me to pack the wheel levelers I'd just pulled off
> >     of. But
> >     it did re-start immediately.
> >
> >     Like I say, I don't think this is related. But since you asked....
> >
> >
> >     --
> >     Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott
> >     71 Type 2: the Wonderbus
> >     84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana")
> >     74 Utility Trailer. Ladybug Trailer, Inc., San Juan Capistrano
> >     KG6RCR
> >
> >
> >
> >     On 12/4/2007 8:48 AM Jake de Villiers wrote:
> >
> >      > If it was moisture, take along a can of WD-40 - Water
> Displacement is
> >      > what it does best.
> >      >
> >      > Some more description of the engine's behaviour when it did
> finally
> >      > start might be helpful....
> >      >
> >      >
> >      > On Dec 4, 2007 8:29 AM, Michael Elliott <
> >     camping.elliott@gmail.com <mailto:camping.elliott@gmail.com>
> >      > <mailto:camping.elliott@gmail.com
> >     <mailto:camping.elliott@gmail.com>>> wrote:
> >      >
> >      >     All adventure tales should start with, "So thar I was . . ."
> This
> >      >     alerts
> >      >     the listener that some old codger is about to embark on a
> long,
> >      >     rambling,
> >      >     and ultimately pointless tale.
> >      >
> >      >     This alerted, the smart listener knows that it time to leave
> >     the room,
> >      >     mumbling some excuse about needing to check the mail or get a
> >     lung
> >      >     removed.
> >      >
> >      >     But anyways.
> >      >
> >      >     So thar I was last Friday, camping at 6,000 feet in the
> mountains
> >      >     east of
> >      >     San Diego. We were having a record storm: 40 mph winds,
> several
> >      >     inches of
> >      >     rain, and lows in the middle 30's (F). By many standards,
> >     that ain't
> >      >     much
> >      >     of a storm, but around here it's notable.
> >      >
> >      >     Mellow Yellow was parked broadside to the wind and while the
> >     gusts shook
> >      >     the van, the poptop showed no sign of stress. However, the
> >     force of the
> >      >     wind pushed water right through the fabric on the weather
> side.
> >      >     Things got
> >      >     a little damp in the spice rack.
> >      >
> >      >     The rain blew horizontally. All day and all night.
> >      >
> >      >     In the morning, the rain had stopped, but the wind continued.
> >     Easily
> >      >     Beaufort 7 (moderate gale). I packed up and went to start the
> >      >     engine, but
> >      >     it didn't want to cooperate.
> >      >
> >      >     Cranked and cranked and cranked. But there was no indication
> of
> >      >     combustion. I paused, thinking, "I don't want to have to call
> for
> >      >     help! I
> >      >     just want to go home to Mrs Squirrel."
> >      >
> >      >     After waiting a bit, I tried again -- lots of cranking, and
> >     after a bit
> >      >     the engine caught -- grudgingly, it seemed -- and shortly
> >     thereafter
> >      >     I was
> >      >     on my way home.
> >      >
> >      >     Here's the thing: I am scheduled to go up that mountain every
> >     month and
> >      >     spend a couple of nights. December, January, and February. If
> >     the engine
> >      >     didn't want to start this last time, I worry that it might be
> >     worse next
> >      >     time. it might not start at all.
> >      >
> >      >     I don't know what the problem was. There was gear covering
> >     the engine
> >      >     hatch, my fingers were cold, and I didn't have an assistant
> >     to crank the
> >      >     engine while I checked for spark or other stuff (actually,
> >     checking for
> >      >     spark is about the limit of my skills, anyway).
> >      >
> >      >     Cold, altitude -- those both cold affect starting, I reckon.
> I
> >      >     wonder also
> >      >     whether a full day and night of sideways horizontal rain
> >     might have
> >      >     gotten
> >      >     the ignition parts wet. I don't have enough information to
> >     hazard a
> >      >     guess.
> >      >
> >      >     So my question is: if you had just had this experience, what
> >     would you
> >      >     have done? What might you bring along the next time to help
> >     get the darn
> >      >     engine started, in the snow or rain, with no one to assist?
> >      >
> >      >     --
> >      >     Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott
> >      >     71 Type 2: the Wonderbus
> >      >     84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana")
> >      >     74 Utility Trailer. Ladybug Trailer, Inc., San Juan
> Capistrano
> >      >     KG6RCR
> >      >
> >      >
> >      >
> >      >
> >      > --
> >      > Jake
> >      > 1984 Vanagon GL
> >      > 1986 Westy Weekender "Dixie"
> >      > Crescent Beach, BC
> >      > www.crescentbeachguitar.com <http://www.crescentbeachguitar.com>
> >     <http://www.crescentbeachguitar.com>
> >      > http://subyjake.googlepages.com/ <
> http://subyjake.googlepages.com/>
> >
> >
> >
> >
>

--
Chris
88 Vanagon GL (daily driver)
87 Westfalia (in progress)
http://wavanagon.googlepages.com/