Club 80-90 Forums

Check the Hall sensor

http://forum.club8090.co.uk/viewtopic.p ... t#p8192693" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I guess a possible fuel problem might be the fault, but there's never been any spluttering or the like before a loss of power.

But re my garage: in the past they've more than alluded to old VWs not really being their thing, so I'm thinking of going to another garage, this time in Aberystwyth which does VW work. Their speciality seems to be VW/Saburu engine conversions but they do most other things on old VWs too. I'm hoping they'll do a full systemic check up. Ah well...

Re the hall sensor.., when the AA man came out last time, the test described in the link was one which he carried out (I watched him), and there was no spark. Maybe just some of the wires are old and dodgy?

It could be fuel or ignition, that's why the spark plug test can identify which area to focus on.

Any garage should be able to do this type of work, where the experts come in is knowing the peculiarities of each model, and the usual problems the suffer from.

I too suspect the problem is on the ignition side, and it is quite possibly heat related, so van starts, runs for a bit, wires / connections expand and the circuit is broken. The van needs to be "broken" when doing the diagnostic work, unless there's an fairly obvious wiring issue.

Have you put a posting up asking for local garage recommendations ?

But the van only ran a very short while before it conked out last time, and afterwards it can't start again.

Sounds more like an intermittent electrical connection, but it's really difficult to diagnose intermittent faults.

You can at least narrow it down to electrical or fuel, otherwise I assume you're looking at a tow to a garage

I am no expert and I have a 2.0CU engine. My van would drive normally then cut out after 15 minutes driving or so. It steadily got worse to the point it would cut out after a mile. After cooling down again it would start again.
When it cut out, there was no stuttering (stuttering being an indication of fuel starvation, to me) but it just cut out like someone had flipped a switch.

I changed the coil - no change.
Ignition amplifier was the culprit for me. I could switch the problem on and off by swapping back to the original. I am led to believe that the ignition amplifiers 'sometimes' do not work straight out the box ie they are faulty (or maybe an incorrect part has been fitted??)

Can you check whether the van will start with the old amplifier?

Just my initial thoughts......

Mike

Isn't there a relay that controls the fuel pump on these? Had once once with a relay that didn't kick in and it would conk out soon after starting.

When I first got my van it developed a similar fault which resulted in about a month gradually replacing parts in spite of demonstrating all the normal signs of life except actually running. The van was recovered eleven - yes eleven times - luckily mainly by my friend. The van would start and run for anywhere between 4 and 56 miles then suddenly cut out showing all the usual life signs including injector pulses etc. It could be started after a short while but stop straight away. This would continue once home but next day everything would be fine again. Eventually a nice Forum member sent me an ECU to try, He may remember this, and the problem was solved at a stroke.
Mine was clearly a rare and atypical problem but If you get through all the usual stuff and all else fails you could see if you can borrow an ECU to try.

I’ve had the same kind of issue - van would stutter and then conk out and would not restart. I carry a load of spares and changed coil/ignition amplifier/ht leads/fuel pump to no avail. Called out the AA who put on a spark plug tester and found that it was only sparking every now and again. It eventually started after much trying and got me home - I replaced the distributor (the only spare I didn’t have) and the problem has never returned.

My thoughts are that the Hall sender in the original dizzy has failed - I’ve kept it and will get the repair kit one day. Might be worth seeing if you can try and swap over one to cross this off the list.

The van conked out on me yet again, and yes, an AA man came out, and this time he suspected the distributor. I afterwards, got the AA to get me to a VW mechanic (who eats, drinks and sleeps old VW vans) around a half hour away, and he's going to give the van a total diagnostic look over. I hope it'll all work out this time!

Can't wait to hear what he/they find. I'm sitting on the edge of my seat with excitement - yes truly. (Inquisitive smilie)

Good luck, hope that he gets your van sorted, hang in there.

So what happened?!!

Will add to that. Whilst I'm not massively familiar with the 2.1i, I believe there are a couple of relays in the engine bay, one of which (if faulty) will allow engine to start and run fine but causes the fuel to cease after a couple of miles. If I remember rightly its hooked up to fuel pump.

Well..., I've been away due to work, but my van has come back from the VW mechanic. He went over all the things that were previously done on the engine, and then he looked into original technical data on the distributor. It turns out that one of the vacuum tubes into the vacuum gizmo on the distributor needn't be there and he removed it (don't ask me if it was retard or advance, I'm not certain, but it's the one clearly visible when you look at the distributor straight on in the engine compartment; remember, it's a 2.1 waterbox, fuel injected). When he did this, the camper started immediately with no problems. He then blanked off the tube junction for the removed tube. He then drove 'Honoria' for around ten miles and kept her running for two to three hours, revving her occassionally. I've just driven the girl home (a half hour drive) and she behaved herself. I plan a four hour return trip later in the week to put her through her paces. Fingers crossed!