2002 MV stranded in Kansas -- need ideas

[Gruppe B]

Hello Everyone,
I've been on the road for the past 3 weeks driving from Ontario, Canada to southern New Mexico pulling a Scamp Trailer.

While driving south the Eurovan developed a significant loss of power. We made it Albequerque NM where the dealer found that coils and plugs needed to be replaced. Also the valve cover gasget was leaking causing oil to fill the spark plug holes. All plugs and coils were replaced but I stated to leave the valve cover and I would fix at home.

All codes cleared after the repair with everything returning to normal and we continued on with our trip. after driving to Chaco, Santa Fe and Bandelier NP we started home.

While driving home the notorious brake booster hose cracked requiring a quick fix. Once we arrived in Dodge City Kansas more problems developed.

Firstly the power steering was low causing a growl (fixed with pentosin), check engine light returned with codes P0300, 301, 302, 303, 304, 305, 306 (coil misfire 1-6) and P0340 (cam sensor). The vehicle cannot idle smoothly and runs terribly until over 1500rpm, stalling everywhere you drive. Pretty much undriveable

Didn't pack my vagcom and kicking myself:(

No one in town has a vagcom and can't increase the rpm to a more stable Rev (presently 500-600 but rough)

No dealership in town and local shops can't fix. Everyone in Dodge is very experienced and and eager to help but the Euro is just to foreign.

Is this a jumped chain causing it to run like crap?

Any help is greatly appreciated

[Abscate]

Check the supply side of the coils for a wiring /connector fault

Pm sent too
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.ssS!

[Gruppe B]

Thanks Abscate! PM was awesome too

Walking into town at 6:30am tomorrow morning to stock up on supplies at Autozone (multimeter, sensor, plug cleaner, spare wire, etc)

[IdeaNerd]

@Gruppe B - I'm not able to help much, but thinking of your situation and wondering: How you are doing? How did it go today? Any progress?

[1961tbird]

I feel your pain too.

Here is link to Eurovan repair shops.

http://www.roadhaus.com/shops.php

[Gruppe B]

Hello everyone,
Yesterday I worked on cleaning the MAF, TB and looking for any possible air leaks that may have developed.

After the work was completed not much had changed except that the idle was still rough but was not stalling like before. I drove the vehicle around and could drive it although rough below 2000rpm.

With the minor increase in driv)ability, I thought we could risk a drive to wichita KS to the VW dealer. We hooked up the Scamp Trailer, packed up and drove off. With the added load misfiring got really bad and we could accelerate more than 45mph. Unable to keep up with highway speeds (70mph) we turned around and went back to the campsite.

Today I'm going to check the wiring and grounds to the coils. I've also ordered another full set of coils and plugs in case trailer load caused the coils to overheat and burn out??

Worse than that we are looking at some used GMC Traverses to pull the trailer home .

Wish me luck everyone!!

[Abscate]

Coil overheat is not the problem, I pull a 3500 Boat with mine about 4x annually.

You should use OEM or at least Bosch coils and plugs on these, though.

Look in the TB - is it really oily and grungy? Clean with CRC Cleaner.

You can try unplugging the MAF (ignition off) and seeing it runs better on the lookup table - that will be indicative of an air leak post-MAF

You can drive it like that, it will run 105 rich so keep the speeds down.

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.ssS!

[Gruppe B]

Bad news everyone

Tried another new set of coils (Bremi again) and the Bosch Platinum 2 plugs. The van P0300-305 codes cleared and power came back just like when the coils were replaced in Albequerque. However the cam phaser error code (P0340) was still there and it was still running rough.

With nothing else we could do, we decided to try to drive to Salinas with more repair facilities and closer to more trucking lanes if we need to ship the Eurovan home.

Soon after driving the EPC light came on (Solid) and stayed on (yipes). After entering the next town a stop light came up and we stalled out at the light. I got it going but it sounded really rough. Gas mileage was terrible and after 130km we used up half a tank of gas.

As we entered Grand Bend KS, I purchased gas but it sounded like a tractor. Not wanting to destroy the engine we stopped and are looking to buy something to get home. I'll leave the Euro here and come back for it.....

Gah!!!! Lol. I love Eurovans but this trip has been really trying

[jeffryfuller]

So I am new on the forum today, but not new to Eurovans as I have 7 of them presently. I have had a similar situation occur but not exact so this may or maynot be your issue, but its worth noting. You may be having a fuel pump go out. I had an intermittent issue that was throwing every random code you could imagine and after 6 months and trying everything else, it came back to be the pump. I hadnt checked it (changed it) previously as the owner I had purchased it from had given me a receipt for a very recent pump replacement. I went thru hell and back with roadside pullovers etc.

Best of luck, the similarities in our cases is the misfiring, the codes and the significant loss of power. It could also be bad fuel as well as a clogged fuel filter, ...point is the engines go bonkers when fuel runs low or is only introduced into certain cylinders, etc. I had a scan gauge 2 hooked up and cant remember the exact codes but i do remember thinking/seeing that cam sensor.

[Gruppe B]

Thanks Jeffry!
I thought it could be a clogged filter as well but when I changed the coils and the plugs a second time the power came back with no hesitation. The engine at idle however was still running really rough. Now though after the short drive the chain can be heard flailing in the engine

I must have lost one of the tensioners.

I'm still stumped on the loss of 2 sets of coils while pulling a little trailer.

I'll report more once I get it home and tear apart

[IdeaNerd]

Sorry to hear.

May the trip home be less "eventful" for you, at least in these kinds of ways. Do let us know what turns out to be the problem, when you get it torn apart and have the time and tools to diagnose and repair.

Hang in there!

[Abscate]

#rant-mode-on

Bad fuel, clogged filter, plugged cat, and bad ECU are the fake news of the auto world internet. It seems like these diagnoses get thrown out on every problem.

Bad fuel - take a sample off the schraeder valve and pump 250 ml into a clear glass container

Clogged filter - almost never but since you confirmed fuel pressure at the rail with a gauge, not by saying "There is gas there" you have ruled that out.

Plugged cat - No.

Bad ECU - if you don't have software that talks to the engine management then this is over your head.


#rant mode off

sorry to vent and hope you get her back up and running.
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.ssS!

[jjvincent]

[volkybus]

Wow...I hope you are home safe by now...I had a early golf or rabbit n the fuel line kept Colling n fuel would only pass parshally thru and the engine would stall or run really rough.. it also sounds like a timing belt slip... please let us know what it was... Good luck ...Bill ..in still inPR
.

[Abscate]

Hopefully they arent in KS anymore, nor holding the line...
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.ssS!

[volkybus]

U r a brave soul to go very far in that van!! Mine runs rich still so I stay close to home... I mean 25 miles or less... worse van out of 15 I.v had...but it's love...what can you do...hang in there...Bill

[Gruppe B]

Hello Everyone,
We are back home safe in Canada (arrived home 2 weeks ago).

In Great Bend KS, the Eurovan was completely undriveable and we knew that we needed to buy another vehicle if we wanted to get home. We had coasted into a Walmart Parking Lot and so had a home while looking for something to buy. I tried to rent a car so that we would drive to other towns and see what vehicles were available but the only rental acency (Enterprise) would not rent to foreigners unless their passport was stamped by US customs within 12 months.... ? Since the border service does not stamp passports at vehicle entries we were out of luck

Luckily for us after a day of hiking around the town, we found a 2008 Ford Expedition EL (9 seater!!) for sale and reasonably priced. Tow kit was already present and factory installed. I must say the Ford is a very nice ride and can't critise it at all. Very well built with no squeaks or creaks and everything works great!

I didn't want to leave the Eurovan so I rented a Uhaul truck and car trailer. We were unable to rent it to cross the border but knew of a place to store near the border.

Driving home 1000 miles in convoy with the wife driving the Expedition and Scamp Trailer and me pulling home the Eurovan was a crazy end to the trip but the 4 kids didn't mind and were kept excited with the new truck.

The Euro is still in the States as we were trying to rent a Canadian vehicle trailer to get it but all Uhauls closed due to the Corona shutdown. The Border is now closed too so the Westy has to wait until everything gets better.

Once the snow melts I can break out the Vanagons so I won't be without a VW.

Keep safe everyone!
Gruppe B

[Gruppe B]

[volkybus]

Glad that you're home.. Calling u a foreigner being from Canada really ticks me off.. I'm from VT so Canada is closer than any big us city to us.. my VW club calls VW's a sick addiction which there is no known cure
Bill PR in winter and VT the rest of the time

[BUGSTUFF]

Well, it sounds like what happened to our '03 many years ago. There is a small oil screen in the variable valve timing or phaser housing (or whatever it's called). The screen came apart with age and part of it got stuck in one of the cam phasers. You can replace the phasers but you risk another piece of screen getting sucked in and happening again. Our mechanic pulled the cover off and removed what was left of the screen and replaced the bad phaser. The screen was not available as a separate part so I just ran without it and opted for more frequent oil changes.

Not my pic....

More pics:

https://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?7226272...sion/page4
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Kirk

Northeast IL VW Association - www.nivaclub.org
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Volkswagen Club of America - www.vwclub.org