ERIC ZENO wrote:
> 
> On Mon, 6 Jan 1997 cbennett@kpmg.com wrote:
> 
> > Hi there,
> >
> > I have a probem with my 86 Vanagon GL.  It starts right  up, even on the coldest
> > mornings, but when it has warmed up, it starts to misfire, running too rich,
> > black smoke out the exhaust, and with  no power to pull even the smallest hill.
> > But when I turn the motor off and start it up again, it runs fine for awhile,
> > and then the misfiring starts again with the black exhaust smoke.
> >
> > The vehicle had been setting for about a year, and I thought it might be bad
> > gasoline, but after several tanks, it still has the problem.
> >
> > Any ideas as to what would cause these effects?
> >
> > Charles
> 
>      My guess is a dirty fuel injector.
> 
>                ERic Zeno
When the engine heats up, the bad spray pattern from a fouled injector
is masked by the vaporization resulting from the gas hitting the hot
cylinder walls. So I would expect a fouled injector to only run better
as the miles roll by.
On the other hand, when the engine is cold, a fouled injector, that does
not atomize the fuel, will not ignite properly/evenly. So I would expect
a fouled injector to cause trouble starting and running smoothly in the
first few miles. (watch out for fuel contamination in the oil - test by
smell).
Larry Johnson