Aging Vanagons often have a combination of problems that can cause hard
starting in any weather and temperature.
I suggest that you do the following things if they haven't been done
recently.
1) Check the part numbers on your rotor arm, Get the right part if the
number is wrong.
2) Replace the small injector seals.
3) Check your distributor cap for cracks, interior / exterior dirt and thin
oil film (Wipe it out, don't use WD 40 as a cleaner).
4) Check all of the spark plug ends in both the cap and to the spark plugs,
clean them.
5) Wipe off the top of your spark coil.
6) Check your ignition timing.

Stan Wilder
High Performance Ceramic Coatings
www.engineceramics.com

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
jimt
Sent: Friday, October 08, 2004 7:45 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: High altitude starting problem, aircooled

On 10/8/04 6:22 PM, "Reinhard Vehring" <rvehring@YAHOO.COM> wrote:

> Hi,
> I'm new to the list, but not new to vanagons. Now I
> have a California aircooled 83 Westy (nice, no rust).
> Runs well but has a start problem at high altitude.
> Noticable at 7500 ft. At 8500 ft it's pretty difficult
> to get it going again, tried all kinds of things last
> time I went to the Sierra, no gas , medium gas, pump a
> bit, full gas... Finally started when I was about
> ready to give up and hike back to civilization.
> Does anyone have advice on starting tricks at high
> altitude or on what may be wrong with it?
> Thanks in advance
> Reinhard
> 
> 
The two things that usually gave my aircooled 82 starting problems at
altitude were timing and a leaking afm boot or the tubes that went into it
werent sealing into the boot correctly.

On the boot remove it carefully and look for cracks on the underside of it
in the ribs.  

����������������������������������������
jimt
Planned insanity is best.
Remember that sanity is optional.
http://www.tactical-bus.info (tech info)
http://www.westydriver.com

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