Bought my first Vanagon

[piruvan]

1989 GL Wolfsburg w/ 175K mi. Southern Cali van. Good shape for its age. Runs well. PO dumped over $4000 into mechanical last year alone (I bought for $4500) I have lots of questions. The bus has lots of little (maybe not little) issues. Too many to ask about all at once. But I'll list some of the big ones now.

-PO put Kumho 857 tires on it. Isn't that a trailer tire? Are they safe to drive with?

-PO put new rack and pinion on last year. Front tires are bald on inside, thick
tread on outside. Ball joints/bushings look good. steers straight, no noises. Just an alignment needed?

-that typical oil pressure light buzzer problem. Only after approx 30min driving in hot weather. Cool weather = no buzzer. Current oil filter is a Valuecraft (quickie lube brand?) and records show last oil weight 20W50.
..so I'll see if an oil change w/ correct VW approved filter will fix this before assuming other causes.

...and there's so much more little, picky stuff...too much for this first post.
I just want to make sure A: it's safe to put my wife and four year old son in.
B: I'm not going to drive 50mi and trash a motor that seems to run great.

...until I know, it sits parked in my driveway. I either just bought a money-pit or I'm in for some fun trips in the future.

...all advice greatly appreciated!

[izzydog]

Congrats on the van! Now the fun begins!

---don't know about the Kumho tires but if they are as bald as you say, I would definitely be looking for some C rated tires. Lots of recommendations here on the Samba.

---an alignment and new tires are in order. I would consider moving up to 15" wheels if you don't have them already. More tire choices and also some nice alloy wheel choices in 15". It will also allow you to move up to a big brake kit down the road.

---change the oil and use a Mann filter. You can get them from VanCafe or BusDepot if you can't find one locally. DO NOT fill your oil up to the top mark on the dipstick. In between the two marks is good and will often eliminate the oil buzzer issue.

Did you do a compression check or leak down test on the van before you bought it? Does the PO repair history show if the heads were ever replaced or the water jacket seal issue ever dealt with? Those are a couple of biggies...


cheers,
Jeff

[blakeck2]

Ill be the first...

REPLACE YOUR FUEL LINES!!!


Welcome to the samba

Yes vanagons are a money pit but very worth it

[Bercilak]

Piruvan,

Whereat in SoCal (I'm in south OC)?

Those tires are indeed "Trailer Only" though I don't know why that would be the case. The load rating looks OK, but I'm not clear on the sidewall rating. The original spec for the vanagon tire called for what is now a "C" rating on the sidewall. These are usually available in a light-truck tire.

You will get no end of discussion about whether your tires are "safe" or not ~ do a quick search and you'll see some serious battles.

My answer is that they do not meet the specs set out for your vehicle, and are therefore potentially suspect. They may not every cause a problem, but they're not correctly rated (probably). The user manual has the tire specs, and there should also be some information on the pillar of the driver's door. Check, and get appropriate tires.

Many people go with Hankook ~ I have a tire that is D-rated, but apparently no longer available, so I got a Hankook when I needed a spare. Some searching here will give you some other tire options.

There are a number of good VW shops around, if you want to go that route. I have an air-cooled so I order parts from Bus Depot (plan ahead) but you can probably get what you need from Van-Cafe just up the coast. They will likely include cookies with your order.

I suspect the oil filter is one part of the OP problem, but may not be the only one. I've read that you can use the NAPA top o' the line filter, or a Wix.

Replace filter and oil, then check. make sure connections are clean. If the problem continues, get an OP gauge you can use to check the OP at idle and under pressure. Real information instead of guess will get you down the road farther.

Oil is 20W50 for air-cooleds (my brand) but check for the water cooled specs. People here will know/advise.

[82WestyMan]

[bjrogers86auto]

But if that were the case I may never get the chance to say....you know what!

You only go through once...have fun spending the money!

Brian.

[morymob]

Oh s+++, not another victim. Does this one have any extra money???? Don't tell anybody,go buy some goood pills,3 cases of beer and sleep well tonight cause you 'NEVER gonna be the same"!! Yeah and by the way welcome to the looney club.

[piruvan]

You guys are scaring me with the Vanagon = $$$ and "you've crossed over the crazy threshold"

Now, re: fuel lines...PO happened to live in San Luis Obispo, CA -a short drive from Go Westy...which happened to do much of the recent repair work on this '89 (partly influenced my decision to buy it) This is from a repair invoice:
3/10/2008 168,785 (current is 175,375)
INSTALL FUEL TANK RE-SEAL KIT W/FILLER NECK (and among other tank releated parts, including a new fuel sender) TWO METERS OF GERMAN BRAIDED FUEL LINE.

...thanks PO!

...am I good with the fuel lines?

[morymob]

Hey, don't take us seriously here,it's all in fun for the nubies,and we have papers to prove we are sane(is that the correct word). U won't find more helpful or anyone that is as familiatr with these vans and the fixes,just ask and someone will have seen it.

[msinabottle]

[Vanagon Nut]

[newt909]

check the little stubs of FI hose that connect directly to the injectors. I have a engine that was said to of come directly from gowesty and while the majority of hose was fresh (not original) and rather good, the little stubs only need a strong wiggle to rupture. You could even hear them crackle with the initial wiggle.
_________________
'91 GL

[blakeck2]

Most of the $$$ that will go into your vanagon is from stuff you want to buy for it not have to