Hi,
I am writing this on behalf of my Uncle and Auntie who run an F reg Volkswagen Transporter 2.0 petrol camper van.
The camper runs fairly well in general although there are a few little niggles that I?m hoping that you can help me out with.
Damp: If it has been standing overnight and it has been raining and they go to start it, it is extremely reluctant to fire up ? engine turns over and sounds as if the battery is flat (even though they have their foot on the clutch whilst it?s turning and have pumped the accelerator to the floor once to activate the automatic choke) and are not touching the accelerator during turning the engine over.
When it eventually does catch, it usually misfires and occasionally surges (not sure the surges and misfire is the same thing) and has been known to lack power when pulling out of junctions so you have to dip the clutch and floor it to ensure that you get out of the junction. Once the engine is completely warm though, these symptoms disappear and it runs like a dream.
The second and more annoying problem is that over the past six months or so it is taking ages to fire up from cold ? it turns over as normal this time and it tries to catch then is coughing and spluttering whilst turning over then when it eventually catches it is behaving as normal ? and does not misfire but does still surge until the engine is warm.
My Uncle seems to think that the second problem is caused by the automatic choke not kicking in at all to help it start from cold and the coughing and spluttering is caused by fuel starvation as the engine is trying to fire but there?s no fuel there as the chokes knackered.
It used to start like a dream any time you wanted it to from cold (apart from when it was damp in the quote above) and it?s always been like that but the last few months have been really puzzling.
Could anyone shed any light to these problems?
Thanks for any help that I will pass onto my Uncle.
Keith
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Suggest replacement of HT electrics; Cap Rotor and Lead Set (use pukka Bosch bits) for the damp starting. For the problems with cold starting I would look carefully at the choke mechanisms. From memory this car should have the celebrated Pierburg 2E on it and binding of the choke flap is a favourite fault.
Andrew
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Simplicate and add lightness!!
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Thanks Andrew,
I'll pass the info on.
Regards
Keith
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Hi,
I passed the info on regarding my Uncle & Auntie's VW Transporter starting problems and my Uncle took the distributor cap off and cleaned it all up (it was quite carbonated) and also cleaned the spark plugs e.t.c. and put it all back together with the result - camper now starting from cold straight away and what I couldn't believe starting straight away after it had been raining) and so my Uncle told me not long after he'd done it (about 2 weeks ago now) that it was starting and running well and then last week sent me an e-mail with a response to one I had sent him and at the bottom he said "PS: The camper's still going like a dream".
However, I saw him last night (Monday) when we went to our computer club and just as we were parting company at the junction where he turns off to walk to his house and I walk down our road I said to him "how's the camper"? and he said that it was a real pig this morning - it hadn't been used since Saturday and he practically flattened the battery trying to start it and because they came down to our house (I was still in bed about 09:50am) so my Auntie could have a quick word with my Dad before they went out to do some shopping because the camper was such a pig to start and it had only just got started (they only live literally five minutes walk from ours and so normally we don't bother with starting vehicles for the short distance but as they were on their way out anyway) my Uncle stayed in the camper with the engine running as he didn't want to take a chance of switching it off in case it wouldn't start again - OK we live on a hill but if it hadn't started with a bump start he would have been stuck at the bottom of our road blocking the small road at the bottom (believe me, we've been there ourselves with a Ford Transit coachbuilt camper van that started reluctantly on the drive then reversed out and stopped but wouldn't start again) and that was definitely the choke.
He hasn't replaced the parts as Andrew said as yet, but t's a mystery how it's been so well behaved for about a fortnight then has started going back to it's old ways.
It's going for a service in about 4 - 5 weeks and so I think a manual choke conversion is on the cards along with the replacement plugs and leads e.t.c.
Any more ideas that will last them until such time as it goes for it's service?
Cheers
Keith
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Get the engine good and warm and then, when its cooled down a bit, spray with the plastic igniton sealer aerosol pack; make sure ignition leads etc are clean.
Very effective.
Even better is to use Waxoyl, but might prove a bind to get rid of a few years down the road.
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Firstly throw out the Dizzy Cap and rotor arm, replace with one from Eurocarparts or GSF. If they are originals then also change the leads. If this is looking too expensive for you then remove the leads, noting the positions and a drawing of the cap, and clean thoroughly with meths or WD40. Now measure the resistance of each lead, the value is printed on the metal plug cap. 1, 2 or 5 K ohms I can not remember. These resistors get very hot and with age disintegrate and cause trouble due to going high resistance, often 20K plus when cold. Clean the coil pack and check the King Lead that is the coil to dizzy lead. Now check all the earth straps and the battery terminals and straps. I do not mean look at them. Remove them clean them grease them and replace and secure. That should fix your probs, Regards Peter
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