Skip to main content
Gerry | Vanagon
Checking account...
← vanagon.com home · Continue the discussion in the forum
VanagonEuroVan
Subject:Hesitation, bucking, rough idle then died. The paranoia begins...
From:Mark A Kippert
Date:Wed, 26 Nov 2008 21:53:08 -0500

Time for the newbie's first issue :^)

My Vanagon ('86 GL) has been running just fine for the few short trips
I've made around the neighborhood until this morning, when I took a 30
mile round trip, mostly on the highway. I stopped at a Volvo dealer to
pick up a part (sigh, another project). Upon leaving I started the
van, backed out of the parking space, started to pull away and
experienced some bucking. Gave it more gas and the bucking stop but
had practically no power. Gave it more gas (about half throttle) at
which it continued to bog down and then died. My first thought was
that I remembered reading about a similar problem on the list. The
idle control valve came to mind.

Anyhow, I turned the key off for a few seconds and then restarted the
engine. Varoom, it fired right up, no hesitation, no bucking, no
nothing. I drove away without a hitch. !?!?!?!? Is this a lone
incident? A quirk? Or should I expect it to worsen? (the later I think).

One more thing. As I'm driving home on the highway, averaging 60-65
MPH, I notice a burp, or blip. It was as if someone flipped a switch
off, then back on very quickly. It seemed to happen only under mild
acceleration as I would compensate to keep the van at a consistent
speed.

Do these sound like symptoms of the same problem, or two separate
issues?

-Mark

------------------------------------------------------------
+    To unsubscribe from the Vanagon List send an e-mail to
+    listserv@gerry.vanagon.com with SIGNOFF VANAGON
+    in the body of the message.
------------------------------------------------------------

Have something to add on this topic today? Revive this thread in the forum »