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kg0483
Samba Member
Joined: September 10, 2013
Posts: 47
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 Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2015 4:40 am Post subject: |
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| Waldemar Sikorski wrote: |
| Did you check and clean all the grounds? |
I cleaned the engine grounds really well but I need to find some diagram for any and all other grounds that should be cleaned. |
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kg0483
Samba Member
Joined: September 10, 2013
Posts: 47
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| Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2015 4:44 am Post subject: |
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Yeah not a bad idea. I was looking into gowesty's version. Thanks for the link I'll check it out. So far I've had another day of driving without and issue. |
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tjet
Samba Member
Joined: June 10, 2014
Posts: 3727
Location: Az
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| Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2015 9:04 am Post subject: |
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| So the root cause was the ignition / ECU not getting the needed 13.5 volts from the alternator? |
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kg0483
Samba Member
Joined: September 10, 2013
Posts: 47
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| Posted: Sat Feb 07, 2015 11:10 am Post subject: |
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| tjet wrote: |
| So the root cause was the ignition / ECU not getting the needed 13.5 volts from the alternator? |
I asked my mechanic if this could be the problem but he is skeptical. I on the other had feel it has a strong chance of being the problem. Not that they are the leading authority on vanagons but look what gowesty has to say about the alternator cable.
"Every water-cooled Vanagon on the planet will benefit from this upgrade kit—replace your old tattered harness and ease your worried mind.
The Story:
The main cable in this harness goes from the starter to the alternator; in addition to being old and often corroded, it is often a bottleneck when it comes to charging your batteries (especially when an auxiliary battery is installed). This new harness upgrades the wimpy stock wire to a beefy six-gauge wire (sealed at the crimp to keep the wire corrosion-free), which will ensure that the alternator is able to efficiently and completely charge your batteries for many years to come.
The other two cables are equally important:
The blue wire is the alternator field wire. This wire is responsible for turning the BATTERY and OXS lights on the dash off when the engine is running. The proper function of this light is imperative. Not only does it serve to let you know your charging system is working correctly, but it also tells you if your water pump belt has broken (your water pump and alternator are on the same belt). So, if you ever see that light come on, pull over immediately!
The red wire is the power supply to the fuel injection system. Not much more needs to be said about its importance. The new harness provides a larger gauge cable with new ends for many years of reliable service. "
Another thing that rings a bell in my head from this article is that the previous owner had installed an auxiliary battery in my van and it might be a partial cause of my problems as well as a week alternator cable. |
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Wildthings
Samba Member
Joined: March 13, 2005
Posts: 52684
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| Posted: Sat Feb 07, 2015 11:41 am Post subject: |
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I will throw in my support for buying a replacement alternator harness, especially for the 1.9L models. It is really hard to imagine what the guy that originally designed the harness for these models was thinking. It is almost like VW wanted the harness to give problems the design is so whacky and out of the norm.
I replaced mine a few years ago. It had already been repaired by a previous owner and wasn't actually giving problems, but the potential to leave myself or a family member sitting on the side of the road was just too great to not go ahead and replace it. |
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kg0483
Samba Member
Joined: September 10, 2013
Posts: 47
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| Posted: Tue Feb 17, 2015 6:01 pm Post subject: |
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So I've been driving my vanagon for over a week now and have put on over 200 miles on the odometer without any issue.
I don't want to say it's fixed because the VW Gods might decide to smite me again. 
The last thing I did to the van was clean all the contacts dealing with cable running to starter and alternator and replaced all of the fuses in the van with new ones even if the old ones looked fine.
So far no problems... Lets hope it stays that way. 
Thank you everyone for all your help. It is much appreciated. |
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vanaglobal
Samba Member
Joined: January 26, 2016
Posts: 51
Location: NYC
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| Posted: Sat Jul 13, 2019 1:40 pm Post subject: Re: Help me please. (Power Loss) 84 1.9 |
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Hi guys!
Been reading through this thread and appreciate all the information!
I have a 83.5 1.9L waterboxer.
I’ve been having a power loss issue suddenly as well that I’ve been trying to get to the bottom of.
Here are my symptoms:
I have no idling problems. Idle is fine. Starts right up, no bogging, no skipping, no backfiring. Starting in first gear is fine too.
But there is a general feeling of lack of torque if that makes sense?
It’s hard to notice on flat ground but the van slows down significantly on hills and can barely get over them. The top end of each gear seems as if it maxes out at 70% of its potential. I only get about 65mph in 4th, and I know I should at least get 75. Also the water temp gauge is showing that the temp is a little lower than usual instead of halfway where it usually is. My left low beam went out right around the same time. Don’t know if it’s related but could be... I’ll try what kg0483 said because it seems the easiest for now:
“The last thing I did to the van was clean all the contacts dealing with cable running to starter and alternator and replaced all of the fuses in the van with new ones even if the old ones looked fine. “
BTW what is the best way to clean connectors and grounds? Right now I just use electrical cleaner and a toothbrush.
Any help would be appreciated. Thanks guys. |
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Ahwahnee
Samba Member
Joined: June 05, 2010
Posts: 10299
Location: Mt Lemmon, AZ
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| Posted: Sat Jul 13, 2019 1:56 pm Post subject: Re: Help me please. (Power Loss) 84 1.9 |
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One possible cause of 'loss of power' is a clogged (or partially clogged) cat converter.
Sometimes you can bang on it with your fist and hear if things are loose in there though the definitive test is to measure back pressure.
If a cat gets clogged one often hears a change in the exhaust note. |
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vanaglobal
Samba Member
Joined: January 26, 2016
Posts: 51
Location: NYC
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| Posted: Sat Jul 13, 2019 2:27 pm Post subject: Re: Help me please. (Power Loss) 84 1.9 |
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Ahwanee,
Thanks I’ll take a look. Another thing I forgot to mention is that my acceleration pedal is stiff. Sometimes it looses resistance then gets stiff again.
I wonder if this could be related 🤔 |
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Ahwahnee
Samba Member
Joined: June 05, 2010
Posts: 10299
Location: Mt Lemmon, AZ
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| Posted: Sat Jul 13, 2019 2:59 pm Post subject: Re: Help me please. (Power Loss) 84 1.9 |
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Well if the 'fast forward' pedal is balky that is not helpful.
You might see what the throttle action feels like in the engine bay on top of the throttle body. If something is sticking you should be able to work out whether it is back there or the cable. |
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vanaglobal
Samba Member
Joined: January 26, 2016
Posts: 51
Location: NYC
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| Posted: Mon Jul 15, 2019 9:50 am Post subject: Re: Help me please. (Power Loss) 84 1.9 |
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I cleaned the contacts to the throttle and it seems like it solved the issue?
At least for now... Acceleration pedal is still stiff though. Guess I’ll have to get to that soon.
But if anyone is having the power loss issue I suggest cleaning the electrical contacts to the throttle switch in the engine compartment first. It literally takes 5 min so why not start there! |
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