> 
> i was looking for something else and ran across this little note. thought
> it might be of some interest out there:
> 
> Volkswagen Technical Newsletter
> 88-N04
> 
> High Pressure, Low Performance
> 
> A Volkswagen that stalls when the engine is cold or after driving a few
> hundred feet could be suffering from an air/fuel imbalance.  It could also
> have a bad oil pump.  That's right, oil pump!  If the same engine has zero
> compression, the chances are even greater than the oil pump is to blame.
> 
> If the oil pressure relief valve sticks, oil pressure could rise to over
> 200 psi when you accelerate to drive off.  With pressure that high, the
> hydraulic valve lifters will overextend themselves, causing the valves to
> hang open.  After the engine warms up, the car will probably run great the
> rest of the day.  So check the oil pressure when you've tried everything
> else to solve a stalling problem ... believe it or not!
> 

That sounds alot like me. Van always stalls until the fourth start, then
runs great from then on. Previous owner said he and his mechanic tried
everything to fix it, but I bet they didn't consider this.

I'll let you all know.

-brian