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Sat Jul 19, 2008 9:53 am

It is fortunate that I live in New Mexico, as it dose not rain here very often, but when it does my Westy stalls and dies, tho it is a very slow death. If I kill the ignition and start it back up it will run almost normally for a minute before beginning the "gradual loss of power" routine, then: in clutch, off key, start up, out clutch, drive for as long as possible, repeat. The water MUST be falling from the sky, not just in puddles, and I searched and found a post warning about the air filter getting wet, but had no suggestions as to preventing that. So what do I do? Someone must live in Seattle and drive one of these things.... :wink:

Sat Jul 19, 2008 9:58 am

Hal87 wrote: It is fortunate that I live in New Mexico, as it dose not rain here very often, but when it does my Westy stalls and dies, tho it is a very slow death. If I kill the ignition and start it back up it will run almost normally for a minute before beginning the "gradual loss of power" routine, then: in clutch, off key, start up, out clutch, drive for as long as possible, repeat. The water MUST be falling from the sky, not just in puddles, and I searched and found a post warning about the air filter getting wet, but had no suggestions as to preventing that. So what do I do? Someone must live in Seattle and drive one of these things.... :wink:

Hey Dude,

What year is your van? There was a bit of variation over the years. How about a shot of the engine bay showing the suspect area. Perhaps something is missing.

- Chester

Sat Jul 19, 2008 10:11 am

Sorry, its an 87. Nothing is missing that I can tell. The plastic "intake hose" used to pop off, but I wrapped some electrical tape around the point on the filter box where it attaches and the added thickness seems to have solved that problem.

Sat Jul 19, 2008 10:20 am

I removed the intake "air horn" that goes up the right D-pillar years ago, and it went to the dump, so I don't have it here to examine, but if I recall it had a drain hole at the bottom. That might be plugged with debris.

Just try removing the intake flexi-hose the goes from the air cleaner box to the panel at the base of the D-pillar. Leave the hose connected at the air cleaner, but use some bailing wire or something to turn it upward. Then wait for the next downpour and see how it does. Shouldn't be long; I hear it's been raining unusually well in Burque these last few weeks. Early monsoon this year. Love it!

Sat Jul 19, 2008 10:36 am

I've got an '82 Westy and haven't driven it much as I am getting it road worthy (family worthy is more like it). Washing and waxing it the other day and hearing the dripping on the metal inside the engine bay on both sides where the air is directed from the top down, I pondered why the water is allowed to enter the engine bay at all and how that would affect components like electrical and air intake.

Now I know, I guess!

Wonder if some kind of deflector could be made without compromising the air circulation.

Sat Jul 19, 2008 4:38 pm

Hey, thanks for the "drain hole" tip. That wasn't it, though you did lead me to the actual problem which was a gaping hole in the flexible ducting between the upper and lower plastic snorkle parts, which rendered the snorkle useless. Once i pulled the snorkle I found that immediately. :D

Sat Jul 19, 2008 5:25 pm

Yeah well dump it. It doesn't do anything.

Sat Jul 19, 2008 7:11 pm

tencentlife wrote: Yeah well dump it. It doesn't do anything.

For what it's worth, it cuts down a bit on vibration/noise levels after installing a Subaru motor. I don't know if that's what VW originally had in mind with the wbx.

- Chester

Sat Jul 19, 2008 7:26 pm

could someone please post a pic of this "snorkel"
I think mine may have been removed

Sat Jul 19, 2008 7:41 pm

K58 wrote: could someone please post a pic of this "snorkel"
I think mine may have been removed

My '84 never had it and as I understand it became standard with the 2.1 motor introduction ? I'm not sure about that though.....

- Chester

Sun Jul 20, 2008 11:25 am

Don't see what it could do to reduce vibration but I imagine it may have been introduced to cut down on intake noise levels, similar to the elaborate air horns that Subaru and other carmakers put in their engine bays. But I never heard any difference in intake noise when I removed mine. If you're sensitive to that sort of thing try a before/after comparison. To me it just looked like more restriction on intake flow, for no discernable benefit.