you should ALWAYS remove the distributor cap and make SURE the rotor is
turning ............
just in case .
and ......Mark's post about the distributor not being well
seated............absolutely -do check that.

I had this happen too ........the clamp part was bent from someone
overtigtening it ..............I noticed it ..........but didn't think much
of it ...........
it turned out that even with the 10 mm hex head clamp bolt pretty tight
..........the distributor was still able to rotate pretty easily,  and loose
the timing.  And it'll drift toward 'retard' too of course.

I don't 'believe in' Hall effect sensors failing.   Can't say I've ever seen
that actually happen. But I have seen no ignition plenty of times.
Those wires on the side of the distributor .........
heck, the ground wire for the distributor.
Scott
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jim Felder" <jim.felder@GMAIL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Wednesday, September 10, 2008 4:18 PM
Subject: Vanagon dead at walmart--not the coil after all

>I just got back from walmart parking lot (oh, joy) where I took the
> loaner coil my local shop let me use for troubleshooting. Before I
> removed the suspect coil, I turned on the key and stuck a test light
> on the positive coil terminal connector to make sure it was getting
> power from the ignition switch. It wasn't the switch. So, I swapped
> out the coil (checking connections) and it wasn't the coil.
>
> So, I guess all that's left is the hall effect sensor. I removed the
> distributor and will take it down to have the sensor tested tomorrow
> morning.
>
> If it is the sensor, anybody have a used one or a used distributor? I
> just check around and they seem mighty expensive.
>
> Jim