I had this problem with my 2.1L until I switched to 10W50 Synthetic oil.
and Lucas Synthetic
http://www.lubadmin.com/upload/produit/FichePDF/lang_1/1177.pdf

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
OlRivrRat
Sent: Tuesday, February 25, 2014 5:58 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: Engine Starting Problem

        If you Switch to a 10 or 5 or even 0W** Oil that ColdLifterSyndrome
will most probably be diminished or

may even go away completely ~

                                                                        ORR
~ DeanB

On 25 Feb , 2014, at 2:58 PM, Steven Shelton wrote:

> I drove it around for a while and now the noise is tolerable.  I'd
> never heard it that loud.  I let the oil drain overnight before I
> refilled it; maybe that had something to do with it.
>
> Well, I spent half the day trying to fix a starting problem, didn't
> find anything wrong, and now it starts fine.  Not very satisfying.
> Thank you all for your suggestions, though.  Just knowing there are
> people out there with a lot more knowledge than I have gives me the
> confidence to attempt these repairs.
>
>
> On Tue, Feb 25, 2014 at 3:59 PM, JRodgers <jrodgers113@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Having a Mann oil filter will help prevent this.
>>
>>
>> John
>>
>> On 2/25/2014 2:28 PM, Steven Shelton wrote:
>>
>>> This is turning into a real nightmare.  I reinstalled the AFM; now
>>> it starts fine, but the engine makes a loud clattering!  It's done
>>> this occasionally over the years, but always went away pretty
>>> quickly.  Now it won't stop.  I've gone over it with a stethoscope
>>> and it seems to be loudest at the driver's side of the intake air
>>> distributor, but it's hard to pinpoint.  I disconnected the fuel
>>> injector plugs and cranked the engine to see if something was
>>> bouncing around in a cylinder, but heard nothing.
>>>  Can all this be related?  It all started off with a shorted oil
>>> pressure sensor wire.
>>>
>>>
>>> On Tue, Feb 25, 2014 at 2:25 PM, Dennis Haynes
>>> <d23haynes57@hotmail.com>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>> Intermittent problems are often elusive. Will it start reliably with
>>> the
>>>> AFM
>>>> disconnected? If yes then you do have a mixture control issue and
>>>> the sensor being disconnected is helping get past it. I would look
>>>> for massive vacuum leaks and wiring issues. Except for the O2
>>>> sensor which is a "consumable", it is very rare for any of the
>>>> other sensors to go bad. Again, the connectors and wiring is more
>>>> often the real problem.
>>>>
>>>> Dennis
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On
>>>> Behalf Of Steven Shelton
>>>> Sent: Tuesday, February 25, 2014 2:12 PM
>>>> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>>>> Subject: Re: Engine Starting Problem
>>>>
>>>> I meant that the engine turns over and over but it will not
>>>> start/run.  I checked the intake air sensor (Bentley 1999 edition pg
24.28):
>>>>
>>>> 2-3        556
>>>> 6-9        557
>>>> 6-22      2697@18 degrees C
>>>> 2-3 and 7-9:  ohms change as I moved the sensor plate
>>>>
>>>> Is this a definitive test or could there still be something wrong
>>>> with intake air sensor?
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On Tue, Feb 25, 2014 at 1:59 PM, Dennis Haynes
>>>> <d23haynes57@hotmail.com>wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Cranking and starting are two completely different issues. The
>>>> starter
>>>>> will crank (turn)the engine over if you removed the complete fuel
>>>>> delivery system and put it out to the garbage.
>>>>> Check the wiring on the back of the starter. The solenoid trigger
>>>>> wire may be loose and you're working near there is making or
>>>>> breaking that connection.
>>>>>
>>>>> Dennis
>>>>>
>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On
>>>>> Behalf Of Steven Shelton
>>>>> Sent: Tuesday, February 25, 2014 1:18 PM
>>>>> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>>>>> Subject: Re: Engine Starting Problem
>>>>>
>>>>> OK, as I said above, the engine would not crank at all, even after
>>>>> returning to it using a charged battery the next day.  As soon as
>>>>> i removed the AFM, even with the #1 spark plug removed, the engine
>>>>> cranked right up.
>>>>>  I checked the ECU connector, with the following results:
>>>>>
>>>>> 2-7     3213 ohms@16 degrees C
>>>>> at this temperature the reading should be 3000 ohm to 3500 ohm.
>>>>> I also checked at the temp 2 sensor, it was 3178 ohm.
>>>>>
>>>>> Other readings were:
>>>>> 1-7     10.64 V
>>>>> 5-7      infinity
>>>>> 6-19    558 ohm
>>>>> 7-25      0 ohm
>>>>> 11-7     14.9 ohm
>>>>> 12-7     15.1
>>>>> 14-6     3154 ohm
>>>>> 15-19     555 ohm at rest, it moved up when I moved the plate
>>>>>
>>>>> Does this mean conclusively that the temp 2 sensor is OK?  Any
>>>>> suggestions on what to try next?
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>