I need Help 1986 Vanagon 2.1 GL

[Jaybird707]

I bought the van down in southern california, and drove back about 500 miles with no problem other than a little high idle. 1100ish I get home i put seafoam in the gas tank. And all hell breaks loose. I drive down the road the van turns on and off some times I have to go to the side of the road. I get back to my place with kids and fiancee and start to look at the van. I changed out the Hall sensor, wires, plugs, cap, rotor, oil, oil filter, gas filter, air filter. Sometimes i can sit there and have it idol and nothing happens other times it cuts out. I can keep up at high rev and nothing happens and then something does happen. I have a video of it but don't know how to post that. Also the tach goes all crazy or even has a tic then goes crazy motor cuts out back on then dies. I have spent the past week trying to figure this out and I am about to have it towed to a mechanic.

[IdahoDoug]

Would you agree the problem seems electrical? With the tach making a ticking noise, and the way you describe it instantly cutting out, then back on it seems like electrical. The Sea Foam would then be unrelated. I cannot see how it could/would be.

So, the electrical to me is the route. I'd check all the grounds in the engine bay (be sure you check the engine CPU ground - center of the engine) and consider putting a new ignition switch in it (cheap and smart with any Vanagon).

Also, check the grounds and dual relays on the driver's side of the engine bay. What about the fuel pump?

Doug
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1987 2WD Wolfsburg Vanagon Weekender "Mango", two fully locked 80 Series LandCruisers. 2017 Subaru Outback boxer. 1990 Audi 90 Quattro 20V with rear locking differential, 1990 burgundy parts Vanagon. 1984 Porsche 944, 1988 Toyota Supra 5 speed targa, 2002 BMW 325iX, 1982 Toyota Sunrader

[whafalia]

It will be ok, it took me 6 months before I knew I hadn't made a stupid choice.
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84 westie 2.2 w/ digijet, AT

[Steve M.]

Go watch Matt Damien in "The Martian". When you get to the final scenes where he is in the classroom teaching and he talks about solving problems it seems like Vanagon 101.
Start with the electrical grounds as Doug says. The ground wires are the solid brown colored wires.

[IdahoDoug]

I meant to elaborate on the grounds. Scott, the owner of Dragonfly Vans in Missoula showed me how ground wires deteriorate the last inch or so. The copper oxidizes, gets brittle and is a poor conductor with very few intact strands. So, cleaning the connecting ring may not fix it. Worth feeling the wire flexibility and if it feels stiff and brittle start peeling the insulation back until you see copper again (brittle part will be dull). Then a fresh ring and you''re good for another 30 years!!
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1987 2WD Wolfsburg Vanagon Weekender "Mango", two fully locked 80 Series LandCruisers. 2017 Subaru Outback boxer. 1990 Audi 90 Quattro 20V with rear locking differential, 1990 burgundy parts Vanagon. 1984 Porsche 944, 1988 Toyota Supra 5 speed targa, 2002 BMW 325iX, 1982 Toyota Sunrader

[Jaybird707]

Thanks for the information. I have looked at the grounds but i guess i could look at them with a little bit more detail. I did check the fuel relays. I switched them around and also jumped them to hear the fuel pump run. But when you touch the relays they seem very hot. I also blew down the fuel lines.

What about the coil? Do you think that would be intermittent? I was going to take the one of my bug and see if there is a difference.

I ohm the ignition switch that seems fine.

[djkeev]

Just for giggles, unplug the green tach wire from the ignition coil.

Does anything improve?

Dave
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Stop Dead Photo Links how to post photos

Ghia
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=392473

Vanagon
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=6315537#6315537

Beetle
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=482968&highlight=74+super+vert

[slo356]

As much as I like my Vanagon, it is so unnecessarily complicated in it's electrical, fuel delivery and cooling system designs, I sometimes have to laugh. It is really automotively ridiculous IMO.

Your problem description sounds electrical. All electrical devices will most likely malfunction if they need to find ground and can't. i.e. they are disconnected or the contact is insulated with corrosion.

The first thing I did when I got my Vanagon home was to clean as many grounds, relay contacts and wire connections as I could find. There are hundreds of them in the engine compartment, under the dash, behind the passenger side taillight assembly and the chassis. I bought a couple of small copper wire brushes, Wurth electrical cleaner and 320 wet/dry sandpaper. I pulled all the relays one at a time (didn't want to confuse where they came from) then wire brushed and sprayed with contact cleaner. I did the same thing to all wire junctions and "gang ground terminals". Even the act of just physically separating and reconnection does a bit of cleaning. There are quite a few big ground wires going chassis to transmission and engine, I completely cleaned the contact areas on the case and even the battery chassis ground. Also, if you have A/C checkout and clean the contacts "hiding" behind the rear most pillar on the driver side.

This is time consuming but not really very difficult. AND you will find where everything is for future work! If your wiring system is in good condition you have leveled the playing field to find any electrical component that may actually need replacement.

Good Luck and let us know what you find.
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'65 T1 Sedan
'87 T3 Syncro

[Jaybird707]

Thanks for the info I will look at the grounds some more.

I can't pull the green tach wire because it is a block with two green wires that are on the coil.

I will try a few things through out the week and let you know if anything changes.

Thanks again for the input.

[Jaybird707]

I ohm the coil it seems to be fine. I set ohm meter to 200ohm came back with 2.2 negative to positive post. Then went from negative post to center post and got 3000.

Disconnected tach from coil didn't do anything. Drove down the street and it died. Turned back on and drove home. When I was coasting i tried to start it. When i let off the key it kept cranking until i let out the clutch to stop it.

Do you think the solenoid on the starter could cause power to cut out and on?
I did ohm the ignition switch which came back fine.

[Ahwahnee]

[Merian]

there is a thread in the FAQ with pics of every engine ground

as you disassemble them and clean, wiggle each one and inspect for abrasion damage on the insulation

once done, move on to the Hall effect sensor and its mounting

give it a complete tuneup too - new, good ignition wires, rotor & cap, plugs

see my sig for more important items too
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....

[Howesight]

When the engine cuts out and the tach needle bounces around violently at the same time, there are only 3 possible causes:

1. the Hall sender in your distributor;

2 a crack in the Printed Circuit Board (PCB) in your ECU.

3. Failed or failing ignition switch.

Here's a link to my earlier post that elaborates on this, the causes, and the fixes:

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=612928&highlight=pcb
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'86 Syncro Westy SVX

[Tom Powell]

[jberger]

Check your ignition switch... These frequently go bad and can cause the symptoms you are describing. If it is acting up, put pressure on your key in different directions.. worse... better?

[Jaybird707]

So here is a update. I got my bentley book today. I did the ignition and fuel injection tests from the pin that hooks up the ecu. Everything came back fine.
I left the ecu upside down and it seems that it is working now. I took it for a 15 min drive and nothing happened. Where as before I couldn't even get two blocks from the house.

In another odd thing is i blew a fuse for the clock radio interior lights. I don't even know how that happened. But I have notice that there is a black and white wire that is positive when i turn the ket on that is just hanging around. The wire looks like it comes off the back of the right side fan switch but don't know where it is supposed to go. I think that kid that install the radio hacked some shit in also because the cig lighter has no wire to put power there to illuminate it.

I was thinking about opening up the ECU and look for bad solder joints see if that fixes it.

Oh yeah i am going to go for a longer ride later to really see if there is a difference.

[Tom Powell]

[Jaybird707]

So i just went down the street to the store. It acted up again while i was just idling and then when i was coming back it cut out and died so i just coasted home.

[IdahoDoug]

Ignition switch vote again from me.
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1987 2WD Wolfsburg Vanagon Weekender "Mango", two fully locked 80 Series LandCruisers. 2017 Subaru Outback boxer. 1990 Audi 90 Quattro 20V with rear locking differential, 1990 burgundy parts Vanagon. 1984 Porsche 944, 1988 Toyota Supra 5 speed targa, 2002 BMW 325iX, 1982 Toyota Sunrader

[Tom Powell]

If this is still happening,