Took my van in for a little "spring cleaning" yesterday prior to a
planned weekend of camping and surfing on the Oregon coast.  Had an
exhaust stud on a head replaced, compression checked, sticking caliper
fixed, and a general safety inspection.  Yeah, nothing too exciting...
that is until I picked it up and started driving home.  

 

Pull out of the lot and start/try to accelerate... chug, chug,
hesitate...hmmm.  "Ah, maybe it's just cold.  Oh, and my gas gage is
reading below the white line.  Yeah, needs gas too," I thought.  Fill up
the tank.  What?!  $50 bucks!?  Darn gas prices.  Pull out of the
station and the same symptons:  idling fine, but as soon as I hit the
gas it's all chug, chug, sputter.  Barely make it down the road to get
groceries.  "Maybe it's still warming up?" I'm thinking.  Make it half
way home and it finally just stalls at a stop light.  "What the F!!?"
It start's right back up and I manage to putt around the corner onto a
side street.  I'm starting to curse the "new guy" at the VW shop who did
the work at this point, but they've already closed for the day, so I'm
on my own.  Hop out, lift the lid and start thinking about what work was
done and what he could have screwed up.  Maybe the exhaust is plugged
up?  Vanagon syndrome?  Compression check was done...hmmmm.  Crossed
spark plug wires?  No, it wouldn't even idle right.  Then, while staring
into the abyss that is my engine compartment, eureka!  Look who forgot
to plug the harness back into the AFM after he did his compression test!
Plug it in and down the road I go.  All is now well in vanagon land.

 

I may try and weasel a free oil change or something out of this, but I'm
not too perturbed.  Now, had I not been able to fix it, thus my weekend
camping plans being screwed?  Different story.  I've definitely come
away knowing a little more about what does what on my van, so that's
good.

 

Andrew

Portland, OR

'87 GL