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Mon Jul 30, 2012 5:32 pm

Hi all,

We recently took the bus that we've been tinkering around with for a couple years in for a full tuneup, hoping it would come out running smooth. Instead, it seems some new problems have cropped up, and the issue seems to be with the flow meter.

With the flow meter unplugged in the bus idles just fine, but it won't drive well (chokes anywhere past second), with it plugged in the bus will drive fine but won't idle (will die if you let off the gas).

Our solution was to put a small piece of plastic in the flow meter itself that keeps the (throttle? gauge?) open a little bit. With it in it idles a little louder, but stays running and drives great.

So my question is how dangerous is it to keep that in there, what do you think is wrong with the flow meter, and how can we fix this?

I apologize if this has been talked about elsewhere, I couldn't find anything.
And as for the bus it's a 1979 Camp-mobile with camper interior, fuel injected engine with a few aftermarket add-ons.

Let me know if I need to do/say anything else, and thanks in advance![/img]

Mon Jul 30, 2012 6:32 pm

Whoa, hang on a second. Your AFM is not the part you want to monkey with until you have done a full diagnostic on your bus. Right now, all you are doing is limiting the travel of the sweeper by putting pressure on it, and you could very well burn out your playfield (ie: white tracks). It does look like your AFM may have been adjusted before, as the factory dollop of silicone has been picked off the sweeper adjustment screw, but it doesn't look too far off from where they are usually set at the factory.

So, is this a cold start issue, or an all the time issue? Give us some particulars. It is very common for the AAR to be the issue when the AFM is unplugged (and the engine runs better), as unplugging the AFM cuts the current to the AAR connector, and the filament does not heat up. Hence the AAR air gate stays open, and the engine runs better as it is getting the warm up air that it needs and was being deprived of.

Some more info would be helpful, but monkeying with the AFM at this point is probably only going to mask the real issue, and potentially damage the unit. I am concerned about the pressure on the play field right now from your plastic piece pressing down on the sweeper. Tell us what you can about the symptoms, and spare no details.

Mon Jul 30, 2012 6:52 pm

SpaceInvader7 wrote: Our solution was to put a small piece of plastic in the flow meter itself that keeps the (throttle? gauge?) open a little bit. With it in it idles a little louder, but stays running and drives great.
:shock: I guess learning how it works and fixing it properly wasn't an option? :shock:

Thu Jun 22, 2017 6:33 pm

On the first photo,on upper left corner (recessed)there is a flat head screw ,what if anything does it do??? Thanks

Thu Jun 22, 2017 6:50 pm

Idle mixture, seen this?: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/manuals/fuelinjection.php

Thu Jun 22, 2017 7:36 pm

busdaddy wrote: Idle mixture, seen this?: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/manuals/fuelinjection.php that is great thank you for the link ,what happens if you try to start a car with out that screw

Thu Jun 22, 2017 7:51 pm

68IHscout wrote: what happens if you try to start a car with out that screw
Big vacuum leak and no movement of the flap, that means no fuel added to the engine.

Thu Jun 22, 2017 8:07 pm

thankagain.