Gary and listees:  FWIW, the solution I had for my 79 Breadbox for this
condition we experience occasionally, was to remove the heavy condensation
inside the  distributor cap with WD 40 or equivelant.  Worked every time.
This may or may not be your problem.

Good luck

Dimwitted Moose and Flying Squirrel
-----Original Message-----
From: Gary Shea <shea@GTSDESIGN.COM>
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Date: Thursday, January 21, 1999 11:51 PM
Subject: Re: rain-starting problem

>My '81 has the same problem, always has... at a certain temperature
>and humidity it just doesn't like to start.  Very strange.  I've always
>assumed it was some kind of mysterious FI firmware bug, but perhaps that's
>a bit too complex of a solution.
>
>        Gary
>
>On Thu, 21 Jan 1999, Art McGinn wrote:
>> soaking rains have hit the bay area and, like last year, suddenly have
>> starting problems with otherwise wonderfully-running '82 vanagon. new
>> battery cranks like crazy but it takes awhile, sometimes many efforts and
>> many minutes, before engine fires. there is no visible moisture in the
>> engine compartment.  the situation suggests that either moist air or
>> condensation is breaking a circuit or shorting-out something but, again,
>> nothing visible.  after the rain has stopped and the air has dried-out,
the
>> problem goes away.  any thoughts on where the gremlin is hiding in this
>> situation?  thanks and cheers, art '82 vanagon
>>
>
>-----------------------------------------------------------------
>Gary Shea                                       shea@xmission.com
>Salt Lake City                      http://www.xmission.com/~shea