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kirk knighton
Samba Member
Joined: January 23, 2005
Posts: 282
Location: Seattle
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 Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2012 9:26 am Post subject: |
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Julie's father inherited the car from her when she died, then he contacted me about becoming Sparkie's new owner. It was, and still is, a great honor. My daughters and I took the train down to California and stayed with David Aleva a couple of days. He himself was retiring and moving back to his native Pittsburgh. A kind man, and a very moving experience to meet him. Julie was their only child, and Sparkie was family, but he couldn't take care of the car. He had Julie buried in Pittburgh. Did you guys read the story of Julie and Sparkie in VW Trends back in 2003? When I met Julie in August 2003 I had her autograph my copy. I had no idea she was ill and would die only a year later.
So Sparkie has been my responsibility these past seven years, and I really appreciate all the technical and moral support I get here. I maintain and repair what I can, and what I can't do there is a great shop in Seattle called Wolfsburg Motorwerks where I've taken Sparkie, and they treat her real well.
The Volkswagen Type-4: It's not just a car, it's an adventure! |
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kirk knighton
Samba Member
Joined: January 23, 2005
Posts: 282
Location: Seattle
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| Posted: Wed Nov 07, 2012 12:08 pm Post subject: |
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Here's an update on my ( latest ) situation:
I installed a new/rebuilt AFM, and then I noticed the wires going to the cold-start valve were bent pretty bad in the tight area they have to go through to attach to the valve. I pulled the plug off the valve, and when I went to straighten out the wires one of them broke off at the base of the plug. The insulation around the wires was chipped and gone, the wires themselves stiff and brittle. Well then I couldn't get the broken plug thing out of the blue housing that hooks up to the valve; I decided I'd let my shop in Seattle put on a new one next time I'm there. BUT: I decided to try starting the engine anyway, without the cold start valve hooked up, and the engine started up instantly, cold, and I took the car out for a long drive and it ran perfectly, no coughing or dying.
Any thoughts on this? It's a new cold start valve, by the way, and yet it being disconnected seems to have no effect on the starting. Could that coughing and dying had something to do with the brittle wires to the valve, and now that it's disconnected I've bypassed that problem? |
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raygreenwood
Samba Member
Joined: November 24, 2008
Posts: 21521
Location: Oklahoma City
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| Posted: Wed Nov 07, 2012 5:38 pm Post subject: |
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The cold start valve...which is a fuel injector....only operates when its decently cold outside. I cant remember what the temp was but there wereseveral available....and years ago I think mine actually only injected at about 39F or lower.
It is the thermo-time switch that operates it. That is the lug bolt shaped sensor bolted onto the case centerline under the fuel injection air plenum. Basicall its a bi-metallic switch that completes the ground to the cold start injector at a certain temp.
There are about 3 ways it can go bad.
1. it can be off in either direction.....so like when its 50F it thinks its 39F...or vica-versa.
2. It may be broken internally and never complete the ground no matter what temp it is.
3. it can be broken intrernally and complete the ground all the time flooding the engine or causing really bad running.
Get a candy thermometer and pull the thermotime switch out and test it in very cold water or in the freezer to see when it kicks in. Ray |
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