On 8/17/2009 2:34 PM Jake de Villiers wrote:

> Hey Rocky, I've had my ankles frozen in the wintry blast of downhill
> engine over-run too!  =)  It happens in injected Hondas and Toyotas too.

Heh. VW's doin' it right.

> My solution in some (colder) circumstances is to put the gearbox in
> neutral so that the engine's idling and making us SOME heat but with
> bigger loads and steeper grades we just freeze for a little while...
>
> With an automatic you might keep your foot a little bit on the gas to
> keep the throttle switch open if you wanted to retain heating capacity.
>

I tested that idea late 2007/early 2008 on one of my long descents, it
barely made a difference in engine temp, the temp still went down pretty
good. I tried to keep the engine at 1,000 rpm but then the engine braking
effect was reduced and I was spending a lot more time on the brakes and I
frankly don't know what's more less or more important: a cold engine, wear
and tear on AT + engine using them as a brake, or wearing out brakes on
long, long descents. Probably no clear-cut answer.

> I wouldn't worry about the coughing backfire - its just an artifact
> unless you're running 76 in your van, in which case its an allergic
> reaction.  I've tried 76 in 3 different Vanagons and each one has done
> some missing at highway speeds.  =)

In this case it was some fine, fine "Space Age" gasoline. Honest, that's
the name of the station. There are two stations in Sisters, Oregon: a
Circle-K and that "Space Age" place. No telling what the fuel is actually
comprised of. I usually try to use Chevron! With Techroline! Or crinoline!
or Vaseline! or whatever they have in it.

--
Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott
84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana")
74 Utility Trailer. Ladybug Trailer, Inc., San Juan Capistrano
Bend, OR
KG6RCR