This failure I may be able to help with. Older, pre 2.1 vans I got, and have had 
for 15 years.

Counter-intuitive, and seemily non-connected. But, try a different idle sensor 
box. It is the small electronic box on the engine bay�sidewall, right next to 
the ingition unit. Might be green, might be light brown.

My '85 just stopped. Two weeks before, my son had been driving it, and it would 
not start for him at his destination. Dad went to the van, trouble shot, and 
ended up with a replacment distrubutor. At the second no-go, I thought "Again?", 
but I had everything - fuel, and spark. I could not imagine the cause of 
no-start, if I had fuel and spark. Worked for three days on it. Finally, in 
desparation, as much as anything else, I replaced the idle stabilizer. It was 
the last thing I could think of that had anything to say about how the van ran. 
With the swapped out unit, the van fired right up. Ran it around for a 
half-hour. Just fine. Put the old stabilizer back in. Dead.

So, if you have a spare unit, try it. If you don't, just do the timing trick, 
and plug the two leads together, and see if you get runnage. Worth a try.

Evan Mac Donald 

"...in the absence of facts, myth rushes in, the kudzu of history."
-Stacy Schiff 

________________________________
From: Skip <skiplaubach@COMCAST.NET>
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Sent: Sun, October 30, 2011 3:58:02 PM
Subject: No start/no spark II

First time poster (apologies in advance if I don't do this correctly)/three 
month subscriber, and three month owner of a:

'84 1.9L Westy

Coincidentally, TJ's issue/questions are very similar to mine.� No start, but I 
did observe a spark from the only spark plug wire that I pulled and tested.� Not 
to hi-jack the post, so I put a "II" in the subject line...

Symptom:� No FP-on at turn of the key.� Oh yea...and no start...
Brief history:� I was driving 60 mph down the road (Illinois - Hwy 47, just 
north of the wind farm, five miles south of Dwight, IL) and suddenly the engine 
stopped (very suddenly and without warning).� Fortunately I was able to coast to 
a county road cross road, pulling off the highway onto a little used gravel 
road.� More fortunately, SO was in the car behind me (longer story), so she 
pulled over as well (I was a bit surprised at this, as well...).� Most 
fortunately I received my AAA "premium" three weeks prior, so was able to have 
the Westy towed direct to my house (70 miles) where it now is in the 
garage/shop. It's been a week.

So far:
1.� Immediately (before my study of Bentley, etc.) I replaced the FP (now 
Pierburg), wired a new ground at FP, and replaced both relays.� Since getting 
the Westy, I have replaced the plugs, wires, cap and rotor (preventative mtc.)
2.� So, a new fuel pump and relays did not change things.
3.� After study in Bentley, Haynes, Vanagonparts.com technical section, and a 
brief discussion with one of our fine suppliers in south Jersey, I've discovered 
the following:
a.� Bentley, 24.32, All voltage and ohms tested OK except terminal 87 (on FP 
relay).� No voltage at start up.� My understanding is that this is the terminal 
that sends voltage to the FP (via communication from ECU?).� Remember, new 
relays, and I've also moved the relays around, so unless I have four bad relays 
(two new and two existing) I don't think it's a simple as "bad relay".
b.� Jumped 30 & 87 on the FP relay:� the FP ran when I jumped these terminals.� 
I could hear the FP and the fuel running through the FI system.� I then jumped 
in the driver's seat and turned the key to start the engine.� It did not start 
(which now makes me suspect more than one root cause...maybe).
c.� Then, I checked for spark on one plug wire.� I have spark.� This makes me 
wonder why the van didn't start when I jumped the relay?
d� Checked for continuity between terminal 85 (on FP relay) and terminal 3 on 
ECU connector.� Continuity OK.

So, should I replace the ECU (based on "d", "a", and "b" above)?� Could the Hall 
Effect Sender on the distributor be getting in the way of preventing terminal 87 
from sending voltage to the FP? (I do have good voltage at the Hall Effect 
Sender connecter at the distributor, by the way).� Should I run the test for the 
Hall Sender as described below?� Perhaps I'm not getting "enough spark" to start 
the van when I have the FP relay jumped?

It's been a steep learning curve for me (enjoy it very much), but I've hit a 
very flat plateau.� Thanks for your suggestions.� Great site with some great 
minds.

Skip Laubach
84 Westy 1.9L
Elgin, Illinois

Date:� � Sun, 30 Oct 2011 14:34:19 -0400
From:� � TJ Hemrick
Subject: Re: No start/no spark

I heard the FP relay and the idle stabilizer control valve cycle every 90
degrees of rotation so I'm taking the Hall sensor out of the equation.� NO
spark from the coil to ground though.� I'm going to snag a spare coil and
an ECU just in case while I'm at the shop.
On Sun, Oct 30, 2011 at 13:52,
TJ Hemrick� wrote:

> That's awesome, thanks!
>
> TJ
>
>
> On Sun, Oct 30, 2011 at 13:49, mark drillock� wrote:
>
>> If you remove the 13mm nut that holds the distributor clamp to the block,
>> you can lift the distributor/clamp out and spin it by hand. Every 90 degree
>> turn should cause a spark. Every 90 degree turn should make the fuel pump
>> relay click and fuel pump run a second. This will tell you if the hall unit
>> is working. Of course the key must be on.
>>
>> You can actually do it just by loosening the 13mm nut most of the way and
>> lifting the distributor up 1/4" with the cap off, then spin the rotor with
>> your finger. Every 90 degrees should trigger a spark and a FP relay click.
>> If you want to try this method be sure to pull the cap first and note the
>> position the rotor points in so when you are done you can more easily get
>> the distributor back down fully. It is keyed to only go one way but knowing
>> which way it should point helps you get it into fully seated position
>> quickly. With the cap off you also pull the center spark lead from the cap
>> and hold it near engine metal to watch the strength of the spark when you
>> turn the rotor.
>>
>> Mark
>>
>>
>>
>> TJ Hemrick wrote:
>>
>>> All,
>>>� Is there an easy way (e.g. side of the road/limited tools) to check if
>>> the Hall Effect Generator is working or not.� Here's the situation; I
>>> felt
>>> some minor hesitation the other night but only from standstill till it
>>> got
>>> moving.� Immediately, I suspected my latest POS Advance/Discount auto
>>> parts
>>> fuel pump (even though the first pump was 4 months old and failed and the
>>> current replacement is 3 weeks old, I'm ordering a new BOSCH from our
>>> trusted vendors first thing Monday).� Well, we got to the next light and
>>> the van stopped running.� No restart.� Ran to the back and shot some
>>> starting fluid in.� No change.� Right then and there, I thought, this is
>>> NOT the fuel pump (well, not completely).� If it didn't start on starting
>>> fluid, I'm not getting any spark.� Got it home (2 miles courtesy of AAA)
>>> and tore into it today.� I got a weak and intermittent spark from the
>>> coil
>>> wire grounded to the transmission bolt.� I pulled a plug and did the
>>> same.
>>>� No spark.� I cleaned all the contacts in the cap and tip of the rotor.
>>>� Still, no spark.� I suspected the coil or ECU.� Just out of habit, I
>>> pulled the grounds under the coil and cleaned them (they looked good).
>>>� Is
>>> there any way to do a field check on the Hall Effect Generator or coil.
>>>� I'll end up bumming a ride from the neighbor to the shop to get some
>>> spares but trying to do it the right way.
>>>
>>> TJ
>>> 87 GL Auto