losing power on new engine, terrible gas mileage

vwcultist

new engine looses power and has terrible gas mileage. Fuel pump whining, plugs fuel fouled. Put in new cooling sensor and oxygen sensor and new plugs. Do I need a new fuel pump? what is causing the engine to lose power. Still drivable but looses power… help so frustrating cause I was wanting to sell it.

AKWesty · Posted: Wed Jul 01, 2015 10:09 pm Post subject:

I can't diagnose your engine online BUT I can give you some places to start looking.

Compression - You say you have a new engine. Whats your compression on each cylinder. You say your plugs are fuel fouled. Could it be oil?

Fuel - You are going to need to place a fuel pressure gauge on your engine input fuel line to determine if your fuel pump is good. If it is whining then you have a cavitation problem. Most likely a clogged fuel filter (which can cause loss of power) or you need a new fuel tank. Replacing the fuel filter is cheap, easy, and most likely long over due.

Spark - You got it on all plugs? You need to check. Spark testers are cheap at the local flaps. These things don't run on 3 cylinders very well.

Hey, I am always looking for a good deal. Sounds like I might be able to buy it off of you pretty cheap. Wink

_________________
84' Westy 2wd
EJ22 - 4spd - Peloquin TBD
GW +1.5 Springs
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AKWesty · Posted: Wed Jul 01, 2015 10:12 pm Post subject:

Oh yea, welcome to the madness and have you changed your fuel lines?
_________________
84' Westy 2wd
EJ22 - 4spd - Peloquin TBD
GW +1.5 Springs
215/70-16's

www.CatchTheKraken.com

"Never go to Alaska as a young man because you'll never be satisfied with any other place as long as you live." -John Muir

Merian · Posted: Wed Jul 01, 2015 10:18 pm Post subject:

new?

explain...

Wildthings · Samba Member Joined: March 13, 2005 Posts: 50338

Checked your fuel pressure yet? What about all the rest of the test in the shop manual?

vwcultist · Posted: Wed Jul 01, 2015 10:31 pm Post subject:

The engine has a new rebuilt engine, new clutch, new radiator. Right away a rad hose broke and the red water light stayed on most of the time. i live 75 milers south of the mechanic in a small town. When I went to start the van for its check up it would not start fror 2 days. It finally started. When it went in for its check-up oil change at 900 miles the mechanic said oh that whining sound is your fuel pump. (that sound had been happening since the new rebuild. I thought it was the sound of a new engine) He didn't change any sensors during the rebuild. I drove it 200 miles to another town just fine got good gas mileage and ran great, but next day it would not start. I had it towed to European Car CAre in Bend OR. They said the lack of a new cooling temp sensor caused the fuel pump to pump way too much gas and fuel fowled the plugs so it would not start. They put in a new cooling temp sensor, oxygen sensor and plugs. When I paid them $279 and attempted to drive 200 miles home it lost power consistently, I drove it back to European Car Care, they thought they had it figured out but it still faultered all the way to the mountain pass where I was towed home. It runs but gets terrible gas mileage, the fuel pump still whines and it looses power. I want out of this, I want to get it fixed (how) and sell it like I was going to do after the rebuild anyway. The only reason I invested in a rebuild is cause I love VW vans and wanted someone else to enjoy it instead of not getting the new engine it needed. someone help me out of this situation please. I was asking $10,900 but now…… thanks

vwcultist · Posted: Wed Jul 01, 2015 10:34 pm Post subject:

It got a new fuel filter on 900 mile check up...

ledogboy · Posted: Wed Jul 01, 2015 10:46 pm Post subject:

What engine? What year? Details...
_________________
1986 Westy Weekender
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vwcultist · Posted: Wed Jul 01, 2015 11:02 pm Post subject:

I am referring to: a 1985 Vanagon... 1900 new rebuild engine with 2500 miles on it.

Wildthings · Samba Member Joined: March 13, 2005 Posts: 50338

When you do the checks I mentioned above, let us know what you find out. Also make sure that the vacuum port on the FPR holds vacuum and that the signal wire from the O2 sensor to the ECU isn't grounded out.

morymob · Posted: Thu Jul 02, 2015 5:26 am Post subject:

Replace fuel filter from tank to pump AGAIN, cut old one open , if a lot of junk inside u have possible bad tank inside.If u have a meter unplug oxy sensor & between metal shield of wire & center wire, never shorted, some higher resistance will be read back thru ecu cktry unless. Ecu is unplugged. U can keep oxy sensor unplugged to see if any change.

Ahwahnee · Posted: Thu Jul 02, 2015 5:54 am Post subject:

Steve M. · Posted: Thu Jul 02, 2015 8:03 am Post subject:

How was the engine running before the rebuild?
Reason I am asking is to remove it for the rebuild they disconnected all the ground wires and reconnected them. Is it possible one of the wires was bad at the terminal and was hanging on by a thread and now is completely broken off?

My '86 has a rebuilt top end and I can see that the cylinder heads are new...but these guys who did the work that is all they did when replaced the cylinder heads and pistons...never mind fixing the reason it overheated in the first place (leaking rear heater) or put new fuel lines to replace the old dried out lines on it when they changed the heads.
What I'm saying is they did what they were paid for and nothing more. No incentive to go a little bit further and fix the obvious problems that a 10 yr. old could see.

So your problem may be there from before the rebuild and is still causing problems.
I know your frustrated, but just go through the basics and check them off one by one and you should find the reason.
Check the rubber fittings on the round thingy in the right front corner of the engine bay that goes from the Charcoal canister. It is between the air filter and the firewall (somebody will undoubtably inform me of the proper name for it Laughing

my brain is full right now!! ) There is a rubber connection on the bottom of it as well that could be cracked and letting air into the system that is often overlooked because it is out of sight.

vwcultist · Posted: Thu Jul 02, 2015 10:32 pm Post subject:

what does that mean: "isn't grounded out" ?

16CVs · Posted: Thu Jul 02, 2015 11:03 pm Post subject:

Put your finger in the tail pipe ,is it black and sooty? running rich would cause this.
Check and double check your grounds. my 1.9 did this after I rebuilt the engine and did not realize the importance of clean grounds.

Stacy
_________________
1987 Syncro Westfalia Triple knob (bastard)
1989 Syncro Tristar Triple knob "Swedish"
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Call anytime number 650 722 4914 .
Keep Your van running and upkept tastefully for the love of the hobby.
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Wildthings · Samba Member Joined: March 13, 2005 Posts: 50338


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