if the fuel pump doesn't run for a few seconds when you turn the key on ..
work on that.

if nothing else hot wire the fuel pump temporarily ..
if it doesn't run with 12 good volts to it and a good, non-corroded ground
wire..
tap on it . If that 'shakes' it into running again ..it's probably very old
and weak.

see if it runs that way - hot wired fuel pump.
if it does, see if the engine starts.

then remove your hot wire and work on why the fuel pump is not running.
it's not a complicated circuit really.

the wires at the two relays in the black box are not immediately obvious
what's what ..but once you figure it out ..
the fuel pump relay is the nexus of the whole circuit.
very easy to see what's going on there, add jumper wires, look for signals
etc.

don't do anything weird like look for voltage on the wire from the ecu that
supplies ground to trigger the fuel pump relay.
I read about people putting a volt meter on things associated with the ecu
that I never would do.
the ecu, of course,
supplies grnd to trigger the FP relay.

if it's as basic as 'fuel pump' doesn't run ..
shouldn't be that hard to figure out.

a no-start is nice that way ..it's black and white..
far nicer to deal with than something intermittent, or 'uneven or
inconsistent ..or poor fuel mileage , for example.
a no-start situation is nice that way...you usually know when you've got it.

Scott
www.turbovans.com

----- Original Message -----
From: <JordanVw@AOL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Tuesday, December 27, 2011 10:35 AM
Subject: '89 vanagon no start problem...ideas?

>    1989  with 2.1..doesn't start.  It cranks, but  don't hear fuel pump.
> I cleaned grounds by coil, changed  fuel pump relay.  Nothing.   I spray
> ether in it  and it starts and sounds great but then dies once ether
> evaporates  out.      I have not changed the fuel filter  yet..     I
> added new
> fuel, added dry gas, injector  cleaner as well.  didn't help.      i
> swapped
> ECU, it started ran then parked it and it wont start  again.   what is
> wrong?
> ideas?   thanks