van runs for about 15 minutes then dies.

RocketBox

84 1.9l... what the hecknoit going on? The van will run for like 15 minutes... then when idle gets slow, say at a stop light... it just stops and wont start back up. Is ot getting hot and everything becomes too difficult to move and ths ts whats causing the issue? Temp gauge reads low. I haven't taken ir temp reading yet. Any other ideas? Having just done a tranny flush and coolant system flush, I wonder is there is some residual atf in the coolant causing it to get too hot...

Fuel pump is new (has 400 miles on it)
Van was running for long durations (3 hours of running no problem) prior to coolant and tranny flush. With the install of the gowesty trans cooler this simplified the trans cooling system. So in my mind the remaining issue is perhaps the coolant in the system... another flush in order if theres still some remaining atf in the resevoir?
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84 Vanagon - tintop, 1.9L wbx. Complete Rebuild done August 2014. 2000~ miles on it so far... SOLD

80 Vanagon Camper ASI Riveria - subaru 2.2 conversion project. 1993 Subary legacy donor car + Riveria = AWESOME!

hdenter · Posted: Mon Jan 12, 2015 9:58 pm Post subject:

I suspect it is butt cold in Boise in the winter. Is it possible that in doing your flush job you buggered up your thermostat so that it is stuck open? It is my suspicion that by the time the aux air regulator element warms up (and closes off the extra air that provides the higher idle when the engine is cold) the engine is still too cold to hold an idle or start easily. Try this, disconnect the connector to the AAR. That way it has to warm up with the engine and will stay open longer. The reason I suspect this is the 15 minutes of good idle and easy start along with the low reading on the temp gauge. Could be wrong, but it is an easy test. A little bit of ATF in the coolant would not cause this problem.

Good Luck!

Hans
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'79 triple white convertible bug
'84 sunroof vanagon
'85 weekender

atomatom · Posted: Mon Jan 12, 2015 11:11 pm Post subject:

you can also try disconnecting the temp II sensor that tells the ECU that the engine is warmed up. that may help narrow it down to being a fault somewhere with the ECU/wiring. maybe something disconnected/loose/bathed in coolant/detergent.

when you say won't start - do you mean, won't turn over, turns over slowly, turns over doesn't fire, or... so many ways to not start!

hope you get back on the road soon.
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84 Vanagon Westy, 1.9L, California raised but defected to Canada.

Dave Wood · Posted: Tue Jan 13, 2015 6:19 am Post subject:

I'd try unplugging the O2 sensor if you have one. I've had a few problems related to poor running after warm up and I think it was a bad O2 sensor wire.
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Dave
87 Vanagon GL

RocketBox · Posted: Tue Jan 13, 2015 7:05 am Post subject:

I replaced the o2 sensor recently... I suppose ot could be that. Ill check out the thermostat as that could easily be gummed up. Thanks for the suggestions.
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84 Vanagon - tintop, 1.9L wbx. Complete Rebuild done August 2014. 2000~ miles on it so far... SOLD

80 Vanagon Camper ASI Riveria - subaru 2.2 conversion project. 1993 Subary legacy donor car + Riveria = AWESOME!

uberaudi · Posted: Tue Jan 13, 2015 10:13 am Post subject:

My 84 with the 1.9 was doing this same time thing when it was below zero for a while here. I could drive it for about 15 min or so and it would cutout then restart about 10 minutes later. The battery wasnt depleted because i spent the better part if those 10 minutes cranking the engine. It turned out my alternator belt had loosened to the point that it wasn't putting out enough juice I suspect. I simply tightened the belt and haven't had a problem since. Check your belt tension!

J Charlton · Posted: Tue Jan 13, 2015 10:52 am Post subject: cutting out

I had similar problems with a '75 bug that I used to have. Being from up here in the frozen North it wasn't an unfamiliar winter symptom. It seems that all gas has some water in it, lots of time from condensation inside a fuel tank over time - in any case, on a very cold day,the bug would die and if allowed to sit would restart about 10min later.
The cause was the water in the fuel lines was forming ice crystals and occluding the fuel line. The solution was always pretty simple - add about 300ml of either methanol or ethanol to the fuel tank. Alcohol and water are completely miscible as is alcohol and gasoline, thus "thawing" out the fuel line by absorbing the water.
One of the advantages of ethanol mixed gasoline is that it does prevent fuel line freezing in the winter time.
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NAHT hightop availability May 18 2023 -
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danbar · Posted: Tue Jan 13, 2015 2:46 pm Post subject:

It will crank but not fire right? I had this same thing in one of my vans and it ended up being a corroded connector on the hall sender. I had it towed home then magically the next day it would start. It did this a couple times and it would always start a few hours later. Once I cleaned the corrosion up it's been fine since.
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'88 SCA High/Pop-top Syncro camper
'61 Meyers Manx

RocketBox · Posted: Tue Jan 13, 2015 2:52 pm Post subject:

Where the heck is the Hal sender?

Yes - it cranks but wont fire.
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84 Vanagon - tintop, 1.9L wbx. Complete Rebuild done August 2014. 2000~ miles on it so far... SOLD

80 Vanagon Camper ASI Riveria - subaru 2.2 conversion project. 1993 Subary legacy donor car + Riveria = AWESOME!

atomatom · Posted: Tue Jan 13, 2015 3:05 pm Post subject:

hall sender wires are the three smallish wires attached to the distributor - a really fragile looking connector.

as to what it is: it detects that the distributor is turning around, how fast, etc.
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84 Vanagon Westy, 1.9L, California raised but defected to Canada.

Dave Wood · Posted: Tue Jan 13, 2015 7:58 pm Post subject:

Not sure if your year has one but there also a connection behind the air cleaner on the firewall that is the hot to the fuel pump. this wire is prone to corrosion and I'd give it a check. yellow plug if I remember correctly
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Dave
87 Vanagon GL

windnsea · Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2015 12:34 am Post subject:

Idle Stabilizer Control Unit! When they are about to fully die, they first go into a mode like you described - when they warm-up they die, then when cool will do it again.

Unplug both round wire connector plugs going to it from underneath and plug them together. Van should start and run fine when warmed up.

Order another Idle Stabilizer Control Unit and install.

I always carry a spare.

Old_Ben_Gun · Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2015 8:07 am Post subject:

89 Westy had same trouble . Would die as soon as it warmed up. Worn out distributor. Replaced the distributor. No further problem.


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