Air flow meter and temp 2 sensor (or wiring), can cause no starts or no runs under some conditions. Trouble shooting should always follow some set course:

Does it turn over and have compression?
Does it have spark while turning?
Does it have fuel? The right amount? A warm engine can flood real easy. Continued starting attempts can even fill the cylinders sometimes to the point hydraulically locking the engine. 

Check the fuel pressure. Check that the pump runs, if not use a meter to see if you get power to the pump while cranking. If not you then need to find out why. 

Check for silly stuff like the air flow meter boot falling off!

Dennis
 

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of Loren Busch
Sent: Tuesday, April 30, 2013 8:44 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: Van stopped running

Had identical symptoms once, dead battery/not charging.  And I did not get a warning light at the dash.

On Tue, Apr 30, 2013 at 7:39 AM, TJ Hemrick <x53gunner@gmail.com> wrote:

> All, I was driving the kids to school today and my 87 GL started 
> slowing down, no dash lights, no throttle response.  Just like being 
> out of gas except no surging or sputtering.  Just to be safe, I put in 
> 5 gallons, a shot of ether, crank it over, but it won't stay running.  
> contacts on fuel pump r clean also.  Anyone know of a component 
> failure that would shut me down like this?  l'n thinking bad fuel pump as it ran on pure ether.
>