----------------
My 86  had a problem with cutting out and tach dropping to 0 rpm. It never
quit running completely and it happened maybe 10 times, usually when I hit a
bump,  then  I found a 12 v supply wire to the hego (heated ego) was
shorting to some engine tin on the lower left side.    This  wire is in  the
same circuit that the , fuel pump, and ecu uses for 12v supply.  The
intermittent short had caused the wire to get very hot and the insulation
was melted and burned back to the relay box on the upper left side of the
engine.   I stripped the defective  wire from  the ecu cable and installed
new and all is fine now.  When I noticed this problem I wondered why a fuse
didn't  blow.  There is a very good reason , this circuit is not  fused .
IMHO if you get a short in the hego,  fuel pump, ignition coil,  ecu, any
fuel injector to ground you will get some warm wiring.  I plan to install a
20 amp fuse on the 12v supply to this circuit.
    A  relay in that little box on the upper left side of the engine
compartment could cause the tach to drop and cutting out. If you have this
problem I suggest checking to be sure you have the 12v is constantly
supplied to the ecu, and coil . .

Darrell Boehler
Makanda Illinois

-----Original Message-----
From: Mark Rokus <marokus@VOYAGER.NET>
To: Vanagon@VANAGON.COM <Vanagon@VANAGON.COM>
Date: Friday, May 22, 1998 2:14 AM
Subject: Re: intermittent nostart/stalling disease

>Frank Terhaar-Yonkers wrote:
>
>> Rant, rant, rant -
>>
>> Now *both* my Vans ('86 GL & '88 Westy) have flaky FI/ignition systems.
>>
>> The symptom (when running) is the tach drops to zero and it's like the
ignition
>> is turned off.  Sometimes this is brief, other times longer (seconds) and
every
>> now and then it *stays off*.  When it stays off, turning the ignition
switch
>> off and back on usually restarts it.
>>
>> The other case, is where the the van has been off and you try to start
it.
>> Just cranks, no spark (and no tach).  Repeated quick retrys usually
result
>> in a start.  Recently on the '86, it wouldn't start at all.  The computer
>> had been sitting on a foam cushion where I left it last time I cleaned
the
>> connector contacts - the van had been running perfect for weeks since the
>> cleaning.  A sharp rap on the computer box resulted in an immediate
>> start and it's been running perfectly since ..
>>
>> Damn Bosh FI!
>>
>> Some of the things I've done:
>>         cleaned grounds/contacts/connectors/relays
>>         checked inside of computer for obvious problems
>>         new hall effect sender
>>         coil swap
>>
>> Seems it must be the brain box and/or it's connector or it's wiring
harness.
>> But on both vans at the same time?
>>
>> Sheesh ..
>>
>>
\\\\////\\\\////\\\\\////\\\\\////\\\\////\\\\////\\\\////\\\\////\\\\////\\
\\
>> Frank Terhaar-Yonkers
>> Cisco Systems, Inc.
>> Cat3900 Software Team
>> 7025 Kit Creek Road  PO Box 14987
>> Research Triangle Park,  North Carolina  27709
>> fty@cisco.com   voice (919)472-2101   FAX (919)472-2940
>
>  Have you tried the "re-solder" job that I think Don Lancaster suggested?
>