Dan,

Electrical or fuel …. turned out to be electrical.

> On 07-Nov-2016, at 15:39, Dan N <dn92610@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
> 
> hard to start in the morning - *SOLVED*
> 
> First thanks to all of you for suggestions and ideas...
> 
> here's a long report...
> 
> the problem was fixed and the van starts at first crank in the morning. I
> am not very proud of me and even ashamed of myself for negligence... I
> found the problem by luck...
> 
> I spend some time on Saturday on the van with no good result, same as on
> Sunday... at the end I am ready to wrap it up and plan to bring it to my
> mechanic the next day...
> 
> I gave a last overall look and I found this...
> 
> http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=1573365
> 
> it's the wiring loom that goes from the firewall to the ICU (idle control
> module) the black box behind the passenger tail light but moved to the rear
> of the engine bay to make room for the external oil cooler. That wiring
> loom was not secured properly and ended up making contact with power
> steering pulley and got partially cut. The result is when it rests against
> the pulley it makes a short of some kind thus preventing the van to
> start... when I cranked it a few times with the rotation of the pulley that
> wire loom moves away from the pulley a tiny bit... so there's no more short
> and then engine starts.. when the engine was off for the night the wire
> loom came in contact again with the pulley and the problem re-appears...
> 
> I fixed the severed wire loom and the problem is gone and the engine
> started nicely this morning...
> 
> I was lucky that I didn't have a fire...
> 
> again ... thank you
> 
> dan