Yeap, it can be quite a few things... but like you / I said, when you
have spare parts to do some testing, you (90%) find the problem quickly
and effortlessly (if my English is good). Anyway, we are reading
"symptom" of a problem on a mailling list. Everything you say or other
says are assumption, like alsways.

Dificult to diagnose without a smell, noise and feel. I personnaly have
to look, feel, look, listen and smell an engine to began some testing.

If i had this van in my shop... it would take me 30 minutes max to find
the problem. Why, because i have over 10 Vanagons in parts available.
Swaping is way more fast then reading and testing.

I have to think more, i have seen that problem more then once.

Anyway, i'm sick like hell (cold) so i should go to bed... i hate Canada
weather, another 12in of snow tonight, 70mph wind.... beuaaaaaarrrkkk.

I will move to the US sometime.... soon i hope. When Bush is out!!! ha
ha ha ha... just a JOKE!!!

Where is Mexico when i need it! :-)

Regards, Ben

Scott Daniel - Shazam wrote:

> Timing advance curve certainly jumps to mind as matching the symptoms.
>
> However, on a 2.1 there is no mechanism of any kind in the distributor
> affecting the timing curve.
>
> It is purely electronic from the ECU,
>
> And it's very easy to see that the timing does indeed advance when you
> rev it, with a timing light.  And one would think if the ECU works, it
> would work for timing curve function.
>
> Not likely to be 'it' but so easy to check that it must be done.
>
>
>
> For sure, fuel pressure needs to be considered.
>
> And as I keep saying, the gasoline itself, not delivery, not pressure,
> the fuel itself, like if it has water in it, or is gasohol with too
> much 'hol' in it or something goofy like that.
>
> NOT saying 'that's it' .......just saying that the fuel itself must be
> considered, and no one ever does that I ever hear of.
>
>   I was working in a shop once, a month after a $ 10,000 rebuld on a 6
> cylinder british sports car - and I said the same thing - check the
> fuel, and the shop owner was resistant to that idea and pursued other
> routes first.
>
>  It turned there was water in the fuel.
>
> Again, not likely, but must be taken into consideration.
>
>
>
> For every test you weigh likelihood of revealing something against
> effort it takes to do that test. Supposing you don't especially think
> it's the ECU temp sensor, but those are only 15 to 20 dollars, it's
> not hard to try one, and at the worst you end up with a spare good one.
>
> It's worth trying then.
>
> On the other hand, you resist diagnosing something really expensive
> like an ECU until you have FIVE good reasons to be convinced that's it
> - at least that's how I am. I am trying to spend the people's money
> the very, very best way, and get 'the result' in the most direct and
> efficient manner.
>
>
>
> It will be interesting to see in the end, if we do that is, what the
> problem or problems are.
>
> Scott
>
> www.turbovans.com <http://www.turbovans.com/>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On
> Behalf Of Benny boy
> Sent: Saturday, March 08, 2008 5:03 PM
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: Re: Still running like crap, the saga continues
>
>
>
> Ok, what you have is a kind of a "Flooding" feelling at low rpm, no
>
> acceleration,  i'm i right?
>
>
>
> You swap the AFM with still the same problem, ok, let's eliminate this one
>
> (assuming that the connection to this one is good!!! yea, wiring harness
>
> problem, very common!).
>
>
>
> It's NOT the cat... you would NOT reach cruising speed!
>
>
>
> CHECK THE FUEL PRESSURE!!! PLEASE!!!
>
>
>
> If ok, you can remove a lot of parts from your problem list and it
> mean you
>
> have a "firing" problem (it could)or an electronic/electric problem (i
> doubt
>
> it).
>
>
>
> Swap distributor, it feel like you may have an advance problem (yea,
> even if
>
> it's electronic, all engine have some kind of advance control)
>
>
>
> Exhaust leak will NEVER create that kind of problem, forget about this one
>
> for now.
>
>
>
> Forget compression test, it's NOT your problem. You would feel it at
> freeway
>
> speed (you said everything was ok at that speed)
>
>
>
> You ask about the temp2 sender:
>
> http://www.benplace.com/engine/trouble_parts.jpg
>
> The blue one.
>
> It's located on the thermostat housing, 1.9 and 2.1. I don't remember your
>
> engine. If 2.1L, it's on the far left/front (on the head - left side
> of the
>
> TH), on 1.9L, it's on the left rear, near the engine temp sender. It's
> also
>
> blue.
>
>
>
> I still think you have a fuel pressure problem.
>
> Any kind of smoke???
>
>
>
> Engine: fire, fuel and air! One is wrong.
>
>
>
> Sadly, i have seen a lot of electrical/FI problem creating a lot of
> strange
>
> problem.
>
>
>
> But i would do 2 last test before you go to a shop. Swap the
> distibutors and
>
> check fuel pressure. After, if that doesn't work, go to a good Vanagon
> shop.
>
>
>
> Cheers, Ben�
>
> http://www.benplace.com/vw2.htm
>
>
>
>
>
> On Fri, 7 Mar 2008 22:28:42 -0500, BJ Feddish <bfeddish@NETREACH.NET>
> wrote:
>
>
>
>> >> There you go, very simple... get a spare AFM and swap it! Like Scott
>
>>said, it's nice to have spare parts to do some test. Find a shop who as
>
>>vanagon in the yard / shop.   <<
>
>>
>
>>I have a spare and I swapped it out. It still ran the same. It's not a
> 100%
>
>>test though since the spare AFM may be bad too.  If anybody has a
> spare AFM
>
>>I can test out here in SE PA that would be great.
>
>>
>
>>>> -Blue temp sender (change it) <<
>
>>
>
>>Where is that located?
>
>>
>
>>Here's my thoughts so far after working on and driving this van for
> the last
>
>>few days.  Basically low speed acceleration is non-existent. Pressing the
>
>>gas pedal from 1/3 to full throttle makes no difference.  What is
> different
>
>>thought is regular cruising speed is great. I was going 50 in a 35 MPH
> zone
>
>>without realizing it. Before it felt like the engine was straining (but I
>
>>had low speed acceleration.)  If this were my '65 Beetle I would say the
>
>>timing was off or the distributer was not advancing. That's what it feels
>
>>like.  I called my mechanic to get an appt to put that crossover pipe on
>
>>next week. I'll have him check the compression too.
>
>>
>
>>Please convince me not to order a carburetor kit....
>
>>
>
>>Thanks,
>
>>Bryan
>
>
>
>
>
> --
>
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