Item Subject: Starting problems - 86 GL
     Paul,
     
       I recently had a problem with my van that has some similarities with 
     yours.  The first similarity is that you smell gas.  Mine was a very 
     strong odor that I could smell when I got out of the van.  The second 
     is that it did not even sputter when cranking.  I eventually traced it 
     down to a melted fuel injector harness that was grounding and thus 
     turning on the injectors (good engineering--put the wiring harness 
     over the muffler heat shield and make an exhaust system that is prone 
     to rusting in places you can't see--Arghhhhhhhhhhhh!)
       However, before you blame your fuel injection check for these signs. 
      Check for gas in the oil by pulling the dip stick and smelling the 
     oil.  Remove the plugs and check for gas on the plugs--they should not 
     be wet with gas after only 20 seconds of cranking a cold engine.  
     Lastly, check for spark at the end of the spark plug.  Be *VERY* 
     careful when doing this if you smell gas in the engine compartment.  
     Some gas vapors got into the air box controller housing.  This blew 
     the top cover off the controller box when I inadvertently left one of 
     the plug wires laying unhooked against this part and the spark ignited 
     the vapor inside the box.  Hey, now I have a easy way to remove the 
     cover when I need to test it next :').
       You can also check the injectors with a 12V test light.  The test 
     light should flicker if the injectors are pulsing.  I would check all 
     for injectors.  I figured it had to be a global problem if I was not 
     getting any sputter; so, I only checked one of the injectors and found 
     that it pulsed.  I did not bother to check the others but they were in 
     fact were the problem.
       The above comments are some possible things to check.  Use good 
     diagnostic skills to narrow down on the problem (does it have gas, 
     spark, too much gas, spark at the right time, etc.).  Hope some of 
     this helps.  
     
     Regards,
     
     Vince.
     '85 Gl Westy (needs an exhaust system before I drive it again)

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Subject: Starting problems - 86 GL
Author:  Non-HP-vanagon (vanagon@lenti.med.umn.edu) at HP-Corvallis,shargw1
Date:    3/5/97 12:25 AM

My 86 Syncro is having starting problems, this is a recent problem and some 
days it starts just fine but other times it just won't go.
     
When the problem occurs the van either cranks and cranks with no sputter or 
sign of starting or it cranks and sounds as though it is about to fire but 
never does.  Inevitablly, it smells of gas so I push the accelator pedal to 
the floor before trying again, but that doesn't seem to help.
     
Also, if it does start and for some reason stalls then it needs to sit for 
at least ten minutes before it starts again, it has been t his way since I 
bought the van and thought originally that the two problems were 
independant but now I wonder if this problem has grown into something the 
problem above.
     
Any ideas??????
     
     
Paul
86 Syncro - 180K