Trouble in Mexico

[HastaAlaska]

Hey guys,

Not exactly sure how you will take this post but I am not sure who else to turn to. I have a T2 Bay Window Bus from Chile, which has a 1600 Aircooled Fuel Injection beetle engine which I have been told is similar to the later model Vanagons. I have an issue that I need to run by you as I am having trouble in Mexico, half way between Chile and Alaska my final destination.


The trouble is that the engine just cuts out (like fuel starvation) at freeway speeds, more so when it is hot or the gas tank is low. After 5 minutes of the engine off it will start and run for a few more miles.

I have confirmed that there is sufficient fuel arriving out of the Injector rail and that there is a good spark from the HT leads to the Spark Plugs.

Is there any known issues or does this sound familiar to anyone at all?

It is not something that I can go to a mechanic about as the issue is pretty hard to reproduce.

Any help appreciated or feel free to point me in the right direction. I live in my Bus so I don't have a lot of access to the internet.

Thanks

Ben
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[SCM]

You may want to check that your fuel filter and pump aren't clogged with something like rust from an old gas tank. I had that problem and ran into symptoms exactly like you describe. At low speeds or at idle, there was enough gas to keep it running fine but at highway speeds more gas is needed and that's when the problems would start. Especially after driving on a bumpy road for a while which stirred up the gunk in my gas tank.
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'91 Westfalia GL Automatic (GTA "Turbo" Rebuild w/Peloquin) and 2.3L GoWesty Engine

[Howesight]

"The trouble is that the engine just cuts out (like fuel starvation) at freeway speeds, more so when it is hot or the gas tank is low. After 5 minutes of the engine off it will start and run for a few more miles."


I agree with the poster above that poor fuel quality or cleanliness may be the culprit. If so, the crud would form a dam at the fuel pump screen or the fuel filter and, after shut off, the dam partly falls away.

Given the quote above from your post, however, it is also possible that your fuel pump is slowly failing. Hot weather and low fuel levels (the fuel cools the pump) will affect a pump that is wearing out.
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'86 Syncro Westy SVX

[HastaAlaska]

[Syncro Jael]

Is this a newer engine without distributor and points?

I have a 2004 Mexibeetle that was doing the same thing till the coil pack just died.

Check with some locals because the beetle taxi's in Mexico were mostly 1600 engines. Parts are readily available.

Just a thought.
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[Steve M.]

[nemobuscaptain]

Lotsa water in the fuel in Mexico in my experience.
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[Dampcamper]

So when it dies, does it burp or stumble a bit before dying or does it just flat cut off?
If I had an engine stumbling a bit before dying, I would be looking at primary fuel delivery first (lift pump, filters, water in fuel). How many tanks' worth of fuel has this problem been happening on?
If I had an engine that just flat cut off I would start troubleshooting electrical things first. This would include the injection system and the sparking system.
And given what we know about VWs, I'd start with cleaning and tightening all ground wires in the engine compartment, then inspecting each crimp lug to make sure it is really on there and making contact.
If you suspect fuel problems, you might consider tanking up on AvGas at an airstrip, they *may* have better quality control on their product. But maybe not. Don't know if the product there contains lead (Look for "Sin Ploma", right) or if you still have a Catalytic Convertor?

[J Charlton]

It sounds to me as if you've got a classic fuel starvation problem - and I'd bet on crud in your fuel tank coupled with a couple of tanks of sketchy fuel.
Here's a quick but temporary fix.
Take your gas cap off, then
Clamp your fuel line off between and filter, remove the fuel line from the filter.
Blow some compressed air back into the tank - this should clear off enough of the crud from the screen at the bottom of the tank to let enough fuel through
The only real solution is to change the fuel tank - they're not expensive. Or, remove the tank and figure out some way of loosening up 35 years worth of crud, crummy fuel varnish and (probably) rust and get it out of the tank.
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[Sir Sam]

What part of Mexico? (I ask because I am in south Mexico right now, and saw a bay window broken down at the side of the road tonight.

I had similar issues......plenty of fuel out of the filter, but it was too clogged to run. Fuel filter should be easy to try.
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'91 Carat Westy

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[thebusandus]

Fuel filter is very inexpensive and something that I change every six months or so on my 80 vanagon. I would change it and see if you can reproduce it. Then start the troubleshooting further.

[Corwyn]

Mexico is a large country - where are you? There are two excellent VW mechanics in La Paz, Baja California:

https://mapsengine.google.com/map/edit?mid=zzFx_XjiMi-c.k2GogB4nSiPw
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[Stevie Ray Van]

I know it's a long shot, but next time it dies, as soon as you get pulled over remove the gas cap and see if you get a big "Whoosh". It could be that you're having venting problems and it's basically trying to suck the tank in.
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87 Westy 2.1 M/T
69 Westy

[jptech]

Hi Ben,

I read your post and while the 1600 type one is similiar, don't mix it with the Vanagon functions. It could be starving for fuel due to pinched or blocked tank vent lines - Remove the fuel cap when its losing power and see if things improve.

The Hall Effect Sensor should be checked. Do you have access to the 3 wire sensor located in the Distributor housing ? Get a voltmeter and a repair manual and get back to me,

John
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[morymob]

I agree on a fuel problem. I would do the mentioned of blowing back to tank & change filter & stay away from the hall sensor if it has one?? Untrained can do damage here, eleminate fuel sys 1st.

[HastaAlaska]

Thanks for the replies guys, some good stuff here...

[Microbusdeluxe]

Five months for a fuel filter in a place that can have bad gas seems like a long time to me. As a first step swap it out. Next step, clean the tank. I'm certain you can find a place that will flush it for you.
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[J Charlton]

[quote="HastaAlaska"]Thanks for the replies guys, some good stuff here...





Incidentally I did a couple of hundred miles yesterday without problems :?

This problem has been happening intermittently over several tanks of gas, the fuel filters were new at Christmas.

[tilstad]

[HastaAlaska]

Yeah the problem is getting worse. I had to do a lot of pushing yesterday in the Mexican mountains - damn!

Seems to only happen once I've been going for a while, and now it's taking much longer to start working again after it stutters to a stall.

I confirmed that no gas (only air) was arriving at the injectors. The pump sounded like it was spinning free (i.e not pushing gas).

I disconnected the intake line from the tank to the pump (after the filter) and the gas rushed through immediately...I also heard a gurgling in the tank

Once I reconnected the fuel line the engine started up straight away.

I will still change the filter because it sounds like it is about time anyways, but what do you make of this vacuum lock? The pump is directly below the gas tank. Removing the gas tank lid didn't seem to help the problem so what is going on?
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Around The World in a VW - Follow the Docuseries
2011 - PRESENT
Hasta Alaska Series - https://kombilife.com/hasta-alaska/
World Overland Series - https://kombilife.com/world-overland-travel-series/
Latest Adventures - https://www.youtube.com/@kombilife