At 12:00 AM 10/12/98 -0800, Marshall Ruskin wrote:

>Is this your normal experience with a tune-up?
>
>Bosch Plugs $13.00
>Dist Cap $11.20
>Ign rotor $9.20
>Air Filter $13.55
>Fuel Filter $9.95
>
>total Parts $58.30
>
>tuneup Labour $69.95
>adjust throttle "switches" and free butterfly valves $65.50
>
>I spent $256.00 yesterday on a tune up and cleaning of my throttle body!
>Taxes were $31.44.
>
Well they did not touch the idle valve that would have been another $300
with installation and taxes.

>Now my van surges worse than ever! The rate is aproximately 1/2 to 1 Hz! =
>I'm afraid it's going to blow the transmission it's hitting on and off =
>so hard.
>
It is a Canadian problem I have something similar too and when it dries up
here and I have time I will get to the bottom of it. (Wait till Gerry our
beloved server will surge in Quesnel. :)  )

>The service guys say "put some gas-line anti-freeze in - there are a lot =
>of problems with moisture". (I live in Winnipeg Canada)
>

If you have moisture in the fuel you would have stalling, not surging.

>Is he right? When I took my van from the heated garage it worked =
>beautifully as I drove it home. Today, it just slowly skips down the =
>street. Sometimes, the surging will go away for a while and I can pick =
>up some speed. However, even with the speed the  engine seems to be =
>really rough.
>
It could be the famous blue sensor to the left front of the engine which you
should be able to get for about Can$15 plus taxes.
Other options are the idle valve or the idle control in front of the right
tailight. Sometimes water gets in there and creates miscalculations for the
engine.

>I looked in my tailpipe for soot, but I didn't find any (looking for =
>evidence of O2 sensor issues)
>
Unlikely to produce these problems.

>Is it my airflow box needing the capacitor? (or replacement)
>
>
>It seems to me that after such a major tuneup, I should not have these =
>issues any more.
>
You are right although your shop would argue that this was not a major tune
up. But it is okay to give them hell and get them into the Christmas spirit.

>Any help would really be appreciated I can't affort this to go on - I =
>have to go 700 KM up north over Christmas.
>
Hope this helps.

Bj�rn Ratjen

Mill Bay, B.C. 

1987 Syncro Est Alia (self camperized)
1995 Passat TD
(1982 Vanagon Diesel)
1979 VW Bus (self- camperized)