Jim,

I've always wondered "Why Diesel?". Back in the day it made since -
diesel fuel was so much cheaper than gasoline. Back then diesel was not
a convenient fuel for cars either. Availability is so much better today
- but  you can still get stuck out somewhere, while gasoline is still
everywhere. Another thing against diesel - fuel costs. The Oil companies
have caught on and diesel cost is way up there. Do you really save
anything driving a diesel Vanagon with  a late diesel engine? (not the
original diesel in the Vanagons.

Just curious.

Any and all are invited respond to my question.

Thanks,

John

On 6/12/2014 2:36 PM, Jim Felder wrote:
> Cam sensor. Mass airflow sensor. Two things that will drive a car wacky
> that I never even had to mess with on a car until I got a new beetle with a
> bad head gasket! I tore up the cam sensor and went through coil-like
> purgatory until I finally broke down and replaced that MAF. No problems
> since, but it taught me that new engines have a lot more ways to give
> problems than old ones. And coil packs... though I've never had to replace
> one, people talk about them like they are disposable.
>
> I suppose that putting a modern engine into a vanagon would result in the
> same problems. But as least you'd have a scan gauge on your side as a
> diagnostic tool. My experience on my newer cars with that has been pretty
> good. The things tend to know what they are talking about.
>
> But, maybe I will just keep painting myself into the "diesel corner" that
> I'm in now. I own two diesel vanagons, no gas one though I started on them.
> So demanding to build a good diesel engine, but so rewardingly simple when
> you do.
>
> Jim
>
>
> On Thu, Jun 12, 2014 at 2:14 PM, Project Pat <psdooley@verizon.net> wrote:
>
>>    On newer cars that is almost always a crank or cam sensor failure.
>>
>> On an old VW, you may be on to something there.
>>
>>
>>   ------------------------------
>>
>> *From:* Jim Felder [mailto:jim.felder@gmail.com]
>> *Sent:* Thursday, June 12, 2014 2:57 PM
>> *To:* Project Pat
>> *Cc:* Vanagon mailing list
>>
>> *Subject:* Re: 88 GL - Failure to Start - but now it does!! Hip Hip
>> Huzzah!!
>>
>>
>>
>> I don't mean to say that coils are the most likely culprit, far from it.
>> But when a vehicle starts, and won't restart until it cools, that's when I
>> suspect the coil.
>>
>>
>>
>