Isn't it always the O2 sensor that is so susceptible to water ingress and funky performance, especially at the semi-exposed connections?� At least that's my suspicion from years of reading the posts.� Thought the real gurus would have pointed that one out right away...

Rich
85 Vanagon
San Diego

--- On Fri, 12/4/09, mordo <helmut.blong@GMAIL.COM> wrote:

From: mordo <helmut.blong@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Powerwashing FAIL
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Date: Friday, December 4, 2009, 6:20 PM

Okay, good, sensible suggestions but, I forgot to add that I've done over
400 highway miles since the rough, insensitive bath I gave La Vana. I'd have
thought that heat would've dried her out well enough, no?

mordo

On Fri, Dec 4, 2009 at 6:38 PM, John Meeks <vanagon@gmail.com> wrote:

> Helmut,
>
> Dry out the inside of your distributor. Check that connectors didn't come
> loose from the blast. Spray all your ignition wire connections and wire
> connectors with WD40 to displace the water. WD40 does wonders. Tell Vana
> Blanca you're sorry and you'll never do that to her again.
>
> John Meeks
> Vanagon Rescue Squad
> http://www.vanagonauts.com/Vanagon_Rescue_Squad74.htm
>
>
>
> On Fri, Dec 4, 2009 at 5:53 PM, mordo <helmut.blong@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Hey, gang. Happy Friday.
>>
>> Recently, I changed AT oil and filter and was eager to know if I had, at
>> the
>> same time, fixed weeping oil filth. So, I took La Vana Blanca for an
>> engine/trans/diff wash at the local self-serve carwash. I soaked it all up
>> with the engine cleaning selection and then blasted it all with the
>> "powerwash" device. I did all of this with the engine running under the
>> premise that if I got anything sufficiently wet enough to make it shut
>> down,
>> it would be good to know right away. Nice, clean engine and trans, no
>> prob,
>> drove home.
>>
>> Long story short, I have since not been able to start the engine without
>> coaxing the throttle a bit. It will not hold idle when cold. After coming
>> up
>> to operating temp, it will idle but at about 850 rpm and a little bit
>> lumpy.
>> My question of the collective experience is: what is the most likely
>> component to cause this condition under the conditions described above?
>> BTW,
>> the engine was running very nicely prior to this folly.
>>
>> Cheers and thanks for any wisdom you can offer.
>>
>> --
>> mordo
>> 1990 Carat
>> 2.1l WBX, AT, 171k miles
>>
>
>

--
mordo
1990 Carat