1985 Westy Named George

[Abscate]

Put 2k away for first fixes, then budget 10 cpm maintenance if you do the work, 20 cpm if paid work. You also have to find someone who can work on it for you local for the second scenario, which is not always possible, and will continue to get worse.

90 mile daily commute is $2500-5000 per year to maintain. It won’t be less than that.
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.ssS!

[4Gears4Tires]

10 cpm?

10 costs per month? Curses per month? Circlips per month? CV axles per month? Crankiness per month? Crankshafts per month? Con-rods per month?
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'87 Syncro
Ferric Oxyhydroxide Superleggera Edition

[Jim Bear]

[Jim Bear]

So a few more details from the test drive and my personal, the only, inspection...
~The van did great on the test drive; starts right up, it has good get up and go, shifts remarkably well, cruises nicely at 65. Zero shimmy-shake, steers nicely with no drift when I let go of the wheel, stops nicely, sounds great--as in quiet.
~Body is great except for a little bubbly rust at the window seal above the ‘fridge flue
~Poptop seal is solid, pop-top works well, the canvas is mint (3 years old)
~All window seal chrome trim is yellowed/faded
~Sliding door is smooth and flawless
~All handles are functional on the cabinetry and doors; all cabinetry is intact
~All doors open and close/seal well
~Stove works, ’fridge works, faucet pump works
~Carpets have wear, but not shot or gross
~Upholstery is about an 8/10; no stains or major wear
~Seats work as they should
~It has the auxiliary rear heater under the back seat that works
~The dash is sun worn, and a little faded with a few cracks
~The glove box door is wonky
~The lower center dash cover is loose (behind shifter)
~The plastic casing around the steering column is held together with zip ties
~The hours on the clock continue to tick through (12, 1, 2, 3, etc.)

That’s what I got for now. I will be heading up to get it on Wednesday I think. More to come.
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"You're either on the bus, or you're off the bus." ~kk
'85 Vanagon Westy - George In the Stable 2020-?/'74 Weekender - Ophelia In the Stable 2007- ?/'69 Beetle Convertible - SOLD 2017-2020/'67 Beetle - September SOLD 2013-2016 /'67 SO42 Westy - Sage SOLD 1996-2001 /'69 Transporter - Baby Blue SOLD 1995-1995/'72 Westy - Nelly - SOLD 1990-1995--STOP FRACKING

[Vanagon Nut]

[Jim Bear]

Does anyone make a replacement piece for the top dash piece?
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"You're either on the bus, or you're off the bus." ~kk
'85 Vanagon Westy - George In the Stable 2020-?/'74 Weekender - Ophelia In the Stable 2007- ?/'69 Beetle Convertible - SOLD 2017-2020/'67 Beetle - September SOLD 2013-2016 /'67 SO42 Westy - Sage SOLD 1996-2001 /'69 Transporter - Baby Blue SOLD 1995-1995/'72 Westy - Nelly - SOLD 1990-1995--STOP FRACKING

[Jim Bear]

Got George home yesterday. Ran great on the two-hour drive home. Issues/Questions:
1) Where should the temperature gauge be pointing, in general? Mine is registering just at the top of the white mark. In city driving, it seemed to bump up just a fuzz to where I could see the top of the white mark.

2) I have a high pitched noise coming from the front right wheel zone. I abate when I just jerk the wheel quickly to one side. It is not constant and I have not heard it at cruising speed. The brakes were done about a year ago, but the van has seen almost no action since. The mechanic told the PO it was something to do with a new caliper and would go away. Thoughts?

3) Where should it be idling? Upon start, it likes 1,000. After driving for a bit, it likes 1400. With a slight bump in the accelerator, it likes 1200. Occasionally it hunts between 1200 and 1000.
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"You're either on the bus, or you're off the bus." ~kk
'85 Vanagon Westy - George In the Stable 2020-?/'74 Weekender - Ophelia In the Stable 2007- ?/'69 Beetle Convertible - SOLD 2017-2020/'67 Beetle - September SOLD 2013-2016 /'67 SO42 Westy - Sage SOLD 1996-2001 /'69 Transporter - Baby Blue SOLD 1995-1995/'72 Westy - Nelly - SOLD 1990-1995--STOP FRACKING

[mikemtnbike]

1. I'm not sure what you mean by white mark. Where is the needle in relation to the led, or would you describe it as 1/3, 1/2, 3/4, etc? That said, the gauges can be inaccurate, so not necessarily going to be able to provide definition.

2. I'm not sure about that noise.

3. Idle should be between 8-900. 1000 is fine, IMO, but 1200-1400 is kind of high and would annoy me. Check your throttle position switch adjustment- Ken Wilford has a good youtube video on that.

Speaking of Ken- the articles on his website vanagain.com, plus the gowesty tech articles on their site, are a perfect place to start gaining a baseline of knowledge. I recommend just spending a few hours scanning all of them you will learn a lot.
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1991 Vanagon GL 2.1 AT Westfauxlia. "Frankie" Totaled https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=764510&highlight=carnage
1995 Eurovan Camper "Marzivan"
2020 GTI SE manual

[Jim Bear]

Question update as mine from 10/28 were not totally coherent or informed. New set of questions:

1) The temp gauge needle likes to be just at the top of the white mark when cruising on the open road and just at the red light (that is not on!) when driving around town. All normal?

2) My high idle after driving issue. After driving and warming up it will idle at 1700 when I stop. It does not drop if I wait for a few, nor does it get higher. Then, after a slight tap of the accelerator, it will drop but still remain higher than normal and hunts between 1300 and 1500. It will do this indefinitely without getting better or worse. The van accelerates from a stop just fine, does not miss, stumble, or backfire at all, and cruises at 65 at around 3,700 RPM just fine.

Video of high idle after stopping and then an abrupt tap to the accelerator. The high idle and tap happen at the very start of the vid.

Link


I am aware of the diagnostic pathway per the Vanagain and GoWesty websites, but any auxiliary suggestions are welcomed. Also, the van has been living at an elevation of 2792' in Suches, GA and is now at 719' in Athens, GA. Could that make a difference?

3) With this issue, and the possibility of me not fixing it before Thursday, do you think it would be OK to drive it on a 1000 mile trip? I will be digging into it tomorrow afternoon, but again, may not fix it, and there seem to be no other issues.
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"You're either on the bus, or you're off the bus." ~kk
'85 Vanagon Westy - George In the Stable 2020-?/'74 Weekender - Ophelia In the Stable 2007- ?/'69 Beetle Convertible - SOLD 2017-2020/'67 Beetle - September SOLD 2013-2016 /'67 SO42 Westy - Sage SOLD 1996-2001 /'69 Transporter - Baby Blue SOLD 1995-1995/'72 Westy - Nelly - SOLD 1990-1995--STOP FRACKING

[Abscate]

Cpm is cents per mile

The Feds give you ~50 cpm to operate a car for work

20-25 cents depreciation
10 cents gas
10-20 cents repair maintenance
5 cents other

Point being if you plan on driving 10,000 miles per year, a budget of $1000-2000 For repairs, AFTER fixing all the things that are wrong in purchase, should be expected.
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.ssS!

[Jim Bear]

[Jim Bear]

OK. So the TPS is clicking on both ends. Then I went to check the idle stabilizer valve to see if it was vibrating and I do not see it. That begs the question for me, what engine do I have? The Vanagon is an '85 and is supposed to be a 2.1L with Digifant. Here is a pic. How do I tell what I have? Am I missing the ISV? Weird.

See anything else out of sorts? From what little I know, based on looking at pics, it looks like an '85 engine. Could it be a 2.1L with '85 trappings? Any help would be appreciated.
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"You're either on the bus, or you're off the bus." ~kk
'85 Vanagon Westy - George In the Stable 2020-?/'74 Weekender - Ophelia In the Stable 2007- ?/'69 Beetle Convertible - SOLD 2017-2020/'67 Beetle - September SOLD 2013-2016 /'67 SO42 Westy - Sage SOLD 1996-2001 /'69 Transporter - Baby Blue SOLD 1995-1995/'72 Westy - Nelly - SOLD 1990-1995--STOP FRACKING

[Yellow Rabbit]

Looks like a 1.9 digijet to me. That’s what 85’s came with.

You also have the expensive Van Cafe billet bleeder junction. Nice.

It looks like there’s some extra bracket on your throttle body. I don’t think mine has that but I can’t remember.

[MarkWard]

About the temp gauge. The consensus seems to be that the temp gauge needle
rides around the LED. The gauge uses resistance to ground, so older wiring and connectors add resistance. A lower temp or stuck open thermostat would also have the engine running cooler. If it’s running too cool, that’s not ideal. Most of us have a handheld infrared temp gun. They are relatively inexpensive.

It could have a 2.1 displacement with a 1.9 engine management system. The 1.9 digijet uses an idle stabilizer module. Yours appears to be loose. Poor picture. It regulates idle by changing ignition timing. Is the AC switch on? That would increase idle and I see the AC belt is missing.
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[Yellow Rabbit]

See that 1” or so diameter white plastic part that connects into the S shaped boot just before the throttle body? Check for a vacuum leak there. Mine fit really loose and there was a big leak.

[Abscate]

Do we no longer add fuel line inspection to the new-to-you Vanagon owner list?


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.ssS!

[Jim Bear]

Thanks folks.

[Jim Bear]

Here is a closer look at the left side of the engine bay:

Is that black box (that is supposed to be attached to the wall but the bracket is broken) the idle stabilizer module (unit)? What about that unattached wire with the female lead seen to the right and in front of that?

Here is an unaccompanied wire and female connector:

Any ideas where these two go?

And a video of the engine running at idle. Sorry, it is sideways:
http://www.youtube.com/shorts/d1fYPgevDkk
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"You're either on the bus, or you're off the bus." ~kk
'85 Vanagon Westy - George In the Stable 2020-?/'74 Weekender - Ophelia In the Stable 2007- ?/'69 Beetle Convertible - SOLD 2017-2020/'67 Beetle - September SOLD 2013-2016 /'67 SO42 Westy - Sage SOLD 1996-2001 /'69 Transporter - Baby Blue SOLD 1995-1995/'72 Westy - Nelly - SOLD 1990-1995--STOP FRACKING

[MarkWard]

The angled black box is the idle stabilizer module. To set the timing, you need to unplug both leads and plug them into each other. That bypasses it.

Yes, if the AC switch is on, there is a valve that raises the idle. So, even with the belt off, the valve could still get energized.
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[Jim Bear]

Any thoughts on the random (to me) unplugged wires?

Would you say the van is OK to drive on the open road with the idle issue if I am unable to remedy it? I was hoping to take it on a 500mi (each way) trip this weekend.

Is there a way to test the idle stabilizer module as the source of the idle issue if the A/C switch is not the culprit and there are no discernable vac leaks?
_________________
"You're either on the bus, or you're off the bus." ~kk
'85 Vanagon Westy - George In the Stable 2020-?/'74 Weekender - Ophelia In the Stable 2007- ?/'69 Beetle Convertible - SOLD 2017-2020/'67 Beetle - September SOLD 2013-2016 /'67 SO42 Westy - Sage SOLD 1996-2001 /'69 Transporter - Baby Blue SOLD 1995-1995/'72 Westy - Nelly - SOLD 1990-1995--STOP FRACKING