What about the Mass Air Flow Box.  There was a problem as you describe and
VW's solution was another harness in series with the existing plug to the
MAF

Dan Moy
danmoy@cynet.net

On Thu, 11 Dec 1997, Marcus Elia wrote:

> Rick:  (and listmembers)
>
> [This is a continuation of a private e-mail exchange, which I have opend
> up in case anyone else has input.  Problem:  power loss after 1 hour of
> driving on highway.]
>
> Unfortunately (especially in summer) we don't have A/C.  The engine
> doesn't shut off entirely, it just runs bad except-- that after exiting
> from the highway (where the problem _always_ pops up) and stopping at the
> first stop sign, the engine will want to stall when the clutch is thrown
> in.  This is followed by very poor (almost non-existent) power pulling
> away from said stop-sign.  This sounds like a fuel-starved engine to me,
> because in my other life I coach rowing, usually from an outboard-powered
> tin boat:  If my rowers, in setting up the motor and fuel tank, have
> failed to open the vent on the tank, the engine dies after about 15
> minutes, only to be revived after opening the vent and much pumping of the
> bulb on the gas hose.
>
> I recognize that being a thousand miles away from a test-drive, this is
> pure theory for you, but is there any chance that this could be a problem
> other than fuel delivery?  I remember reading someone's submission
> regarding the expansion of differently-composed engine parts, i.e. block
> and heads:  He wrote that it could take an hour for the engine to be
> thoroughly hot, at which point a gasket might no longer make a good seal.
> The person was talking about coolant getting into the cylinders; could
> this be happening with oil?  After these 1-hour episodes there is a
> noticeable drop in oil level on the dipstick, but no coolant loss.  I
> don't have a oil pressure gauge, and the idiot light does not go on.
>
> The engine runs great up until that point, with ample power and
> acceleration.  My mechanic has said that if this was a injector or a valve
> problem, it would be felt all the time, at 5km/h or 50km/h.
>
> Hoping there's a pearl of wisdom waiting to drop--
>
> Marcus Elia
> '84 Westy (Dela)
>