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Tue Nov 17, 2020 3:37 pm

I started my 1980 Vanagon this afternoon, which I do daily. It started just fine.
After I let it run awhile, I switched it off. I then tried to start it a few minutes later but it wouldn't start. It turned over just fine, just wouldn't start. So, I let it sit for an hour or so. I then started just fine. Any ideas would be appreciated. One person said that coil may be heating up.
Engine:
2.0l air-cooled
Pertronix ignition

Tue Nov 17, 2020 4:01 pm

Knowing your elevation and temperature would help. Also checking the exhaust for the stink of raw gas would help.

It takes a while for the engine heat to reach the TSII sensor, so when you starter your engine and then only run it a minute or two, the piston and cylinder head will start to warm, but the TSII sensor and the TTS don't get any of that heat for several more minutes. Shut the engine down and the TSII sensor and the TTS will still think the engine is dead cold and tell the ECU and the Cold Start Valve to dump in way too much fuel when you go to restart it. You can try unplugging either the TTS or the CSV and if that doesn't do it also ground out the lead to the TSII sensor.

Assuming you are 5000' or above, you might want to have your AFM adjusted for the local altitude. If you do this have a paint mark made at the original cog wheel setting so you can richen the mixture back up if you drive to lower elevations.

Tue Nov 17, 2020 7:35 pm

The Cold Start Valves are highly suspect on that motor...

Hans

Wed Nov 18, 2020 8:44 am

Does it stumble and sometimes die when driving or is the only symptom the one you describe above? I ask in that I had a similar situation, twice now, where the van would not start when hot but it also stumbled when hot and sometimes it would die and not start until it cooled off. I went through everything I could think of, new ECU, relays, ignition switch, fuel pump. In the end it was the starter. I replaced it and it has been great ever since, sans one incident. That incident had the same symptoms and the solution was the same but in this case the pole that you attach the hot wire to the starter had come loose. The only way I could figure to fix it was to replace the starter again. Problem solved, again.