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79 Westfalia Stalls In Spring Like Conditions

I have been battling my Westfalia for the past few years. Strangely enough, my problem seems to be related to the weather. I live in Seattle, WA.

Fall - Mild and fairly rainy Winter - Mild (sometimes cold) and really rainy Spring - Mild and less rainy Summer - Warm and dry

The problem:

It seems every spring and on spring like days that my 79 van starts having the following problems/symptoms.

  1. Cranks on first try
  2. Loss of power occurs when I get to third or fourth gear
  3. Pump accelerator to prevent the engine from dying
  4. If the engine doesn't die, it will usually die at the next stop but not always.
  5. After dying, it will sometimes start on the first try but not always.
  6. If I can't get it to start, I go through the following "ritual" and I'm not sure if it's the "ritual" or the time spent going through the "ritual" that gets things going again. a. Check all vacuum hoses and reset b. Adjust the distributor cap and check spark plug wires c. Check the wires connected to the coil d. Ask the gods to get me out of the jam. Not really but maybe it would help!
  7. In most cases, it cranks up after the "ritual" and there is an obvious difference in power. Note: I should stress "not always" and sometimes I repeat the "ritual" or parts of the "ritual". It seems adjusting the vacuum hoses has the greatest impact.
  8. Once the engine starts, after a mile or two, the symptoms usually reappear and I go through the same process.
  9. At some point and closer to the start of summer, I go through the "ritual" and my VW runs perfectly fine until the next spring.

For the past few years I've battled this every spring and then summer comes and life is normal again. In other words, the van cranks on the first try and runs like a dream. I get too involved in other stuff and why fix something when "it's not broken" or "not broken at the moment". This spring I've decided I would like to rid myself of this strange dilemma. Have any of you guys seen this weirdness before?

Thanks, robear

Reply to
robear
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Seattle has perfect conditions for "carb icing", but your '79 is FI and they don't usually suffer from it. Still, I would check that the heated air intake to the air filter is working correctly.

Busaholic to the rescue?

Speedy Jim

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Reply to
Speedy Jim

Yeah, I'm here. This sounds like maybe a house-call. Drop me an e-mail and we'll hook up. I'm in Renton. -BaH

Reply to
Busahaulic

Do you ever smell an odor of gasoline, especially just after filling the tank? Do you park it under a cover? Do you change fuel filters every spring? If you don't actually touch anything in the engine compartment but let it sit for an equivalent period of time, will it heal itself then also? Any black smoke ever? Your item #7 noticeable difference in power - gooder or badder? What brand and rating of gasoline have you been using? -BaH (I do think the problem is related to weather but not in the sense you're thinking it might be.) It DOES have the stock FI (fuel injection), does it not??

Reply to
Busahaulic

Yes and it can be quite strong. I stopped topping it off to cut down on the smell. If I only fill it 2/3 then the smell doesn't occur.

No. It's always outside.

No

No, well, not always. For example, sometimes it will die as I'm parking. I don't touch anything and the problem still exists when I return hours later.

No but It does occasionally backfire (softly).

Better. More response from the accelerator.

Brand - The closest gas station and that doesn't mean the cheapest. Octane - 87 (Have tried higher octanes but the problem persists.)

Yes.

Thanks for troubleshooting this with me.

Reply to
robear

Remove the gas filler cap. Reach your finger in and feel all around the circumference of the rubber boot that is in there. You will feel a major tear in it as in probably about half gone. That is where the water is getting into your gas tank. Because it is fuel injected and the gas in the tank is constantly agitated, the water stays in suspension and just occassionaly causes major havoc. When you first start the engine, the water is all on the bottom and is predominantly what is going through the fuel rail.

Check for that torn rubber. Call Autovice (Bow-Wow) in Lake City and see if they have one in stock. Get the earlier model one that does not have the step-down for unleaded nozzles. (They used to be around $30 for the unleaded type and $12 for the regular type but have gone up considerably since that time!)

To replace that hunk of hose is another story and if you need to you can e-mail me and we can talk it over by telephone when you get to that point.

You apparently have some other issues also. I suspect that you need to actually remove each of the large vacuum hoses and inspect them carefully. I think you'll find the ones down under the right side (as you look at it) of the air plenum - the hoses to the auxiliary air regulator - you'll find about half a hose gone or crumbling badly. I don't think you can buy those pre-formed hoses any more. I couldn't get them 10 years ago! Also - the big "S" hose probably has some big ass cracks in it. I think shoe goo is the common repair for those. You likely have some hoses that are loose enough to nearly fall off on their own and a slight backfire or driving over RR tracks pops them (1 of them) right off!

If you ever drive up any hills or ever get on Hwy 99 or the freeway, you need to run premium gasoline as in 92 octane. The alternative is VERY expensive. You WILL need new heads (rebuilt Vanagon heads fit '79 busses) and new pistons and cylinders PERIOD No further discussion on the issue is needed. Been There Done That Cost: about $3,000! Doing all but the machine work yourself, about $1200. The machinist in town is Northwest Connecting Rod.

Reply to
Busahaulic

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