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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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Apr 24, 2007 - 05:36pm PT
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"OBDII code reader"
-Hunh?
-WTF?
-I drive a '90 Saab
-Should I have one?
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davidji
Social climber
CA
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Apr 24, 2007 - 05:50pm PT
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Nope.
For OBDII (On Board Diagnostics 2) cars (1996 & newer models + a few 95s), you can scan trouble codes with an OBDII scanner. If the check engine light (CEL) is on you have trouble codes, and even if it isn't you may (at least some cars only light the CEL for codes that could damage the catalytic converter).
Older computerized cars used OBD 1, or maybe a proprietary diagnostics system. Either way with older cars you pretty much need a seperate scanner for each car manufacturer. You can use *most* OBDII scanners on *most* OBDII cars.
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Wild Bill
climber
Ca
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Apr 24, 2007 - 05:57pm PT
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" "OBDII code reader"
-Hunh?
-WTF?
-I drive a '90 Saab
-Should I have one? "
No, but Saab may have some cryptic fault code reading procedure you can use when your 'check engine' light comes on.
Google says 'yes!' For Jaybro's reading pleasure and confusion:
http://www.troublecodes.net/Saab/
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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Apr 24, 2007 - 06:21pm PT
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Thanks all! That was way more useful than I thought it would be.
Any reccomendations on a tester?
the "LH System Tester (1985-93 2.3 LH)" sounds like a likely good choice.
JC Whitney?
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 25, 2007 - 11:02am PT
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ok, the word from the Mechanic: cylinder #3 is pumpin oil, certainly broken rings, probably burned piston... he can patch it, but doesn't think that is the way to go...
SOOOO, what to do, what to do....
...if I keep 510OW I will probably execute the heretofore mentioned diesel conversion. That will cost a pretty penny... buy a Honda you say? well, I'll probably do that 'cause D has stated her's is getting tired and old and she would like a new one, and I can use the old one on the scavanger circuit to look for a VW TDI (97 or 98 preferred for the Vanagon conversion).
The benefit of a diesel conversion is several fold
 get ~30 mpg with diesel
bomb proof engines with low maintenance
can rebuild it with seals to allow bio-diesel (Sheryl Crow has nothing on me!)
the cons:
it's gonna cost
I perpetuate the VW cycle of karma
the car is already 20 years old...
So we'll see how this all pans out.
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Phil_B
Social climber
Hercules, CA
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Apr 25, 2007 - 11:13am PT
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Hey Ed,
If you're taking suggestions for a newer car, I'll put in for the Toyota Matrix. Crimpie and I both have the XRS with the higher powered motor. No problems with power for me with this little car and I still get pretty decent mileage. I can fold down the rear seat and sleep in the back and I have no problem doing 75 with a bunch of kayaks on the roof heading up to the rivers.
Downside of the XRS is that you gotta use at least midrange gas or else the power band is really crappy.
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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Apr 25, 2007 - 11:26am PT
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Certainly there are 'safer' alternatives, but I say, stay on the path, the Wheel keeps turning and it won't slow down
go with the Deisel! I wanna see what happens
"life is a bold adventure or it is nothing," Helen K.
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Wild Bill
climber
Ca
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Apr 25, 2007 - 11:29am PT
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Perhaps the Vanagon engine swap will be cheaper if you use the Subaru power plant? Here's a WRX turbocharged subaru engine in a vanagon - note the intercooler across the top:
I'm sure THAT transplant was simple and cheap. not. You've probably already considered the popular Subaru transplant, but thought I'd throw it out there.
Either the diesel or Subaru engine would be a great way to keep the Westphalia going. But IF you're done with the VW Van and thinking of selling it, then I'd dump it now and let someone else choose how they want to fix the engine.
And then get the, uh - WTF IS this thing? Another dopey GM design. "Way to hit it out of the park, guys! This will outsell the Aztek for sure!"
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roslyn
Trad climber
washington
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Apr 25, 2007 - 11:30am PT
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ed, i feel your pain. my 97 volkswagen golf broke down on the kootenay summit on the way to the bugaboos last summer. had to have it towed (500 bucks) and found out that the motor had blown. My partner picked me up at home, but we missed two days climbing and when we got there, bad weather blew in and we never did more than some scrambling!!!
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mooser
Trad climber
seattle
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Apr 25, 2007 - 12:07pm PT
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Ed: Stick with the V-Dubs! I have to live vicariously through somebody!
I've always had them (until I moved to Seattle a couple of years ago). The newest one I ever had was a '71 double-cab pickup (my first ever bay window...not quite aesthetically the same as the split), but otherwise nothing newer than '67s (buses and bugs). I'll have to dig around for some breakdown on climbing trips photos, 'cuz I have 'em somewhere.
Essential accessories: oil, clutch cable, generator belt, flat-blade screwdriver, socket and wrench for generator, and the Idiot Book--which always looks as thrashed as the one in your picture, because anyone who has a VW has cracked it open about a hundred times with oil and grime covered mitts.
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Russ Walling
Social climber
Out on the sand.... man.....
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Apr 25, 2007 - 12:12pm PT
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Ed... find a shady tree and lay your tarp on the ground..... get a giant ice chest filled with beer... get some chips..... call JayBro...... get 'er done boys. Bet the OW rig is up and running rough within 3 days.
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Prod
Social climber
Charlevoix, MI
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Apr 25, 2007 - 12:20pm PT
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74 VW Westfalla
2 engines.
Dozens of CV Joints.
Lots of hitch hiking.
A little bit of vomiting.
More than a few mandatory bivies:
Indian Creek with Tarbuster snowed in.
Wolf Creek Pass CV joint.
Shelf Road with Unibonger CV joint.
5 Points Denver realized I was way to drunk to be driving.
The Pit in Flag when the washer I dropped into the tube from the carburetor to the engine finally worked its way into the engine.
Those were the days, 40 MPH in 2nd gear up the passes and 90 on the way down.
How many bus owners had the sunflower propane heaters strapped to the top of a cooler between the seats? That was neat…
Prod.
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mooser
Trad climber
seattle
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Apr 25, 2007 - 12:47pm PT
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I had this cool in-line fan that brought the hair's breath of heat from the backside all the way up into the front seat. Huh? How cool is that?
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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Apr 25, 2007 - 02:00pm PT
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I remember Russ' van having a heater arrangement that was clearly only for those bold of nature.
qoute, "I drive with an open flame."
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Prod
Social climber
Charlevoix, MI
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Apr 25, 2007 - 02:09pm PT
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Yo Jaybro,
I think the concept of my heater actually came from Russ via Roy (Tarbuster). I remember many a night in a panic as the heater (open flame and all) would launch off the cooler and roll around in the back of the bus like a 25 pound maltov cocktail. That was some boot cut sh#t I tell you, spilling my beer rushing for the shoulder and jumping out of the drivers seat to catch it.
Prod
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Russ Walling
Social climber
Out on the sand.... man.....
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Apr 25, 2007 - 02:42pm PT
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hahahaha! True story! I made a dash heater out of a cut down happysunflower™™™ with a C clamp bailing wired to the stem.... long hose from the 20lb tank fed the beast..... always exciting for the passenger. Cool thing about those sunflowers is when they get old, the mesh on the actual sunflower starts to erode, thus giving you a nice open flame leaking out the top.
I remember driving to Hueco BITD with the sunflower rolling and in the passenger seat area the two burner coleman at full throttle making 'spro and Quesadillas while moaning down interstate 10 at a prudent 56 miles per hour. Having an open flame nearby really takes the bite out of 16 hour drives.
Andretti edit: I used to on occasion leave the cassette tape case in the back of the bus by mistake.... long drives need tunes.... didn't want to stop the bus once it got up to ramming speed, so I would wait for a nice straight bit of highway, and then bail into the back of the bus and try to find the tape case...... full auto pilot baby! Try that then when you are falling asleep at the wheel and need to go another 400miles with eyes wide open.
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
one pass away from the big ditch
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Apr 25, 2007 - 03:10pm PT
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I'm just sayin, not all VWs are goners...
not mine... [as in I don't own this one, but I'm posting it, sorry for confusion]
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mooser
Trad climber
seattle
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Apr 25, 2007 - 08:34pm PT
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That's a beautiful thing, Munge. A beautiful thing.
Here are a few of my beautiful things...'64 Type II:
A '71 Double-Cab Pickup, and a '67 Westy:
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Prod
Social climber
Charlevoix, MI
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Apr 26, 2007 - 09:12am PT
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Sh#t Fish,
It's been so long I forgot about the auto pilot routine. There is a section of 70 heading west just into the UT border that is dead nuts straight where I employed that maneuver to grab a bag of pot from under the seat. Gotta be careful not to bump the wheel on the exit. Recently on a trip in the U.P. (Upper Peninsula) of Michigan driving across a stretch of road called the Seeney Stretch, 27 miles dead straight. I put my truck in cruse had the passenger grab the wheel and headed out the back window to track down a lime in a cooler for my Tecate.
Passenger “What the f*#k are you doing”
Me “Just hold the wheel”
Passenger “What the f*#k are you doing”
Me “It’s ok”
Passenger “No No NO, get back in your.. you’re f*#king crazy as#@&%e” etc
Minute at most later.
Passenvet “You’re a f*#king as#@&%e”
Me “So you don’t want a lime in your beer?”
I think he was really a little shook up over that one.
Back to road trip rides, check out this hum dinger. It is a bute. The guy calls it a Airanodo, as it is a cross between an Airstreem and a Toranado.
This is my first attempt to post a pic….
Prod.
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wbw
climber
'cross the great divide
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Apr 26, 2007 - 10:51am PT
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I've driven from Colorado to the Valley on more than one occasion, in two different vehicles, in late spring/summer, with the heat on believing that the vehicle ran better that way. Coming back from CA in July, having the heat on crossing the San Rafael Swell is not a pleasant experience.
Eventually when I got the long term problem looked at by someone who actually understands engines, (I consider myself to be as far on the other side of the spectrum as is possible), it turned out that having the heater on had no bearing on how well my Nissan truck was or was not running.
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