On Wed, Sep 2, 2009 at 6:21 AM, Dave Mcneely <mcneely4@cox.net> wrote:

> .  These ARE, despite
> the attitudes of many on the list, really difficult vehicles, for both
> owners and shops.  One has to have an interest in them for the sake of
> other qualities they have (and really, it isn't that they are good
> vehicles, it's that we like certain features), in order to put up with
> them.  Dave Mc
>
>   Dave,
  I have to differ with you on Vanagons being "really difficult vehicles"
That is just not so.  Vanagons are relatively simple straight forward
machines.  I agree that as supplied by the factory, they have some
shortcomings, but 'difficulty' isn't one of them.
  A difficult vehicle...Almost every vehicle on the road is harder to wrench
on than a VW Vanagon.  Porsche Boxster?  Gotta remove the motor to change
the spark plugs!  Porsche 928? over 80 relays in that one and 32 valves run
by a belt that turns 4 camshafts..A Ford?  If you don't have the
multi-thousand dollar computer diagnostic tool...forget it..

  I agree that dealers might find it difficult to make  money working on a
vanagon.  That doesn't make the vehicle itself a 'difficult' vehicle.
 They would like to be able to move in a "Unit",  stick in on the
diagnostic, have the fault sheet printed out and their Tech unplug the
faulty "Module" and replace it with one costing a few thou...Get the Unit
out the door and move in the next Unit...All without anyone knowing
much..other than how to put new paper into the office printer so that the
invoices get printed correctly and the inventory of "modules" are correctly
re-ordered for the next faulty "Unit" that makes them a profit..
  When a "profitable (for the Dealers) vehicle" has a problem, we're
expected to flat-bed it to the dealer for diagnostics or get a whole new
vehicle..."You bought the extended warranty, right?"
  When a 'difficult' Vanagon has a problem, you pull over and dig out your
screwdriver and crescent wrench and fix it..or find a mechanic who actually
remembers what a toolbox is.
 Don Hanson