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borninabus Samba R&D Dept.
Joined: May 18, 2006 Posts: 4532 Location: Arizona Highways
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Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2012 2:13 pm Post subject: Van Smokes Under Load |
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here's the long & short of it:
when i bought the van i changed the oil before i ever drove it.
i chose mobile1 10w30. i had some buzzing from the OP light @ temp so i replaced the dynamic switch and changed the oil to M1 15w50.
still got some buzzing so i added a quart of lucas oil treatment to try & thicken it up a bit.
still buzzing @ temp.
the oil is now over full which i now know is a no-no.
i tried to take it on it's maiden highway voyage and the first incline i hit it started pouring smoke out the back and made sounds like detonation; higher pitched valve sounding noises, not a rod knock.
backed off it and all seems normal.
i put an oil pressure gauge on it (in the low pressure sensor hole) and all seemed normal.
50psi @ start.
30psi @ operating temp & hwy speeds
10(ish)psi @ idle & temp.
the OP buzz will come on & the gauge is reading about 25psi so kinda confused on that.
i have not been able to replicate the smoke and believe me, i tried (the oil is still over-full)
the smoke itself is not what bothered me as much as the sounds the engine made.
is it possible that the 3/4 valve cover completely filled with oil and caused this smoke & strange noises?
i am not leaning toward a coolant leak because of the sounds the engine made. certainly it's a possibility though...
i did not get a whiff of the smoke or i would know what caused it.
ideas, thoughts; please discuss _________________ 71 Ghia A/S - 88 Van A/T - 13 JSW TDI 6M/T |
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crazyvwvanman Samba Member
Joined: January 28, 2008 Posts: 9895 Location: Orbiting San Diego
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Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2012 2:44 pm Post subject: Re: Van Smokes Under Load |
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You possibly put the wrong pressure switch in. Waterboxer 2.1 uses a .9 bar switch for the second one. Lots of parts books say it is a 1.8 bar switch but that is wrong. The 1.8 bar wrong one will cause oil alarms when the oil warms up and the pressure gets a little lower.
The smoke is from high rpm uphill with TOO MUCH OIL.
The van should be very level when you check the oil and it should never be higher than the top mark.
Mark
borninabus wrote: |
..... i had some buzzing from the OP light @ temp so i replaced the dynamic switch .....
the oil is now over full which i now know is a no-no.
i tried to take it on it's maiden highway voyage and the first incline i hit it started pouring smoke out the back and made sounds like detonation; .......... |
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Wildthings Samba Member
Joined: March 13, 2005 Posts: 50255
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Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2012 3:01 pm Post subject: |
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A waterboxer can handle about an extra quart of oil on flat ground, but will blow a nice smoke screen when you get on a hill. If you were blowing enough oil through the crankcase ventilation I guess it would be possible for it to cause detonation. Wonder what the octane rating of motor oil is? |
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borninabus Samba R&D Dept.
Joined: May 18, 2006 Posts: 4532 Location: Arizona Highways
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Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2012 3:28 pm Post subject: |
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i for sure have a .9 bar switch.
maybe something grounding out?
so are we leaning toward simply too much oil? _________________ 71 Ghia A/S - 88 Van A/T - 13 JSW TDI 6M/T |
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crazyvwvanman Samba Member
Joined: January 28, 2008 Posts: 9895 Location: Orbiting San Diego
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Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2012 3:44 pm Post subject: |
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The oil buzzer is only triggered by the high pressure switch and only when rpms are above 2000. The high pressure switch works in reverse of the low pressure, in that the high pressure switch grounds when there is pressure. So grounding the switch wire would prevent the alarm. A break in the wire would cause the alarm.
borninabus wrote: |
i for sure have a .9 bar switch.
maybe something grounding out?
so are we leaning toward simply too much oil? |
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borninabus Samba R&D Dept.
Joined: May 18, 2006 Posts: 4532 Location: Arizona Highways
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Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2012 6:01 pm Post subject: |
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ok i'll take a close look at the wire and see if it's F'd up. _________________ 71 Ghia A/S - 88 Van A/T - 13 JSW TDI 6M/T |
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PDXWesty Samba Member
Joined: April 11, 2006 Posts: 6235 Location: Portland OR
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Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2012 9:56 pm Post subject: |
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I sometimes smoke when loaded.....oh.....wait... _________________ 89 Westy 2.1 Auto |
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Kopasz Samba Member
Joined: August 15, 2008 Posts: 241 Location: Portland, OR
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Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2012 8:14 am Post subject: |
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My van did that after I overfilled it with oil, but I have a conversion engine.
Drained about a quart of oil and no more smoking..... _________________ adam
'87 Wolfsburg Weekender, Bostig Zetec
The rehabilitation of my Van can be found here: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=5949024#5949024 |
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?Waldo? Samba Member
Joined: February 22, 2006 Posts: 9752 Location: Where?
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Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2012 1:30 pm Post subject: |
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The air-cooleds didn't have the dynamic oil pressure warning system. Did you add the dynamic system to an air-cooled? |
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borninabus Samba R&D Dept.
Joined: May 18, 2006 Posts: 4532 Location: Arizona Highways
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Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2012 10:22 am Post subject: |
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Andrew A. Libby wrote: |
The air-cooleds didn't have the dynamic oil pressure warning system. Did you add the dynamic system to an air-cooled? |
sorry
to clarify it's an 86 2.1 auto.
so the OP gauge will come off today as i am satisfied that the pressure is good.
i drained about a 1.5 quarts of oil and the level is now just below halfway between the two marks.
gave it a good mountain cruise (15 miles uphill) with the A/C on full-blast and no issues but i'm still going to give it some hell this weekend to make sure everything is OK.
wish me luck _________________ 71 Ghia A/S - 88 Van A/T - 13 JSW TDI 6M/T |
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