[T3] cool weather idle hunt

Tue Jan 10 20:33:26 PST 2017

When I drove 14 miles round trip to work and back most was stop and go and 
in the winter dark at 5pm hard the headlights on yet there were stretches it 
was a steady speed. Yet a few times at idle even though the speed did not 
lope the first thing was I'd hear the cassette tape deck sound drop out and 
when that happened a few times the car would die and not even crank.

 Yet you are starting yours quite a lot with all the stalling and that draws 
quite a bit.

 I'd check the battery after sitting at work just to see what it's voltage 
is without running at best it should be near 12.5 volts or a bit above. If 
it's low then the charging system can't fully charge it in stop and go. 
That's just the battery part. They can act up in strange ways.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Daniel Nohejl" <d.nohejl at gmail.com>
To: <type3 at vwtype3.org>
Sent: Tuesday, January 10, 2017 3:31 PM
Subject: Re: [T3] cool weather idle hunt

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>
> Well, the voltage thing was a red herring. I drove to work this AM with 
> the headlights off and when I got off the highway I was greeted by the 
> loping low idle. I stalled a few times in the mile or so b/w the highway 
> and work but then at a stop sign, the idle randomly came back to normal.
>
> I drove home through a fair amount of local traffic. After the car was 
> warmed up, the loping low idle returned. I stalled a few times. I pulled 
> over and tried to wiggle on every connector gently. No change. After a few 
> blocks, the idle came back and was fine for a good 8 miles through local 
> traffic with the headlights on!! I parked the car and sat in it idling 
> with the headlights off for a second while getting my things together and 
> the loping low idle showed up again. I got out again and wiggled 
> connectors to no avail. Got back in the car and the idle came back to 
> normal. I went back to the engine bay and removed the hose from the AAR to 
> the oil bath (essentially the only thing I hadn’t touched back there)  and 
> within a few seconds, the low loping idle returned. It got progressively 
> worse over 10-15 seconds, the generator light started flickering, and the 
> engine stalled. I was able to replicate this twice more.
>
> New theory: my lope/hunt a few minutes after cold start and the 
> intermittent low lope when warm are caused by the same thing, the AAR. 
> Could it be so that the AAR is too open when cold and intermittently 
> closes too much when warm so that my base idle setting will all of a 
> sudden be too low for the more closed AAR? And that when the AAR opens up 
> a wee bit more my idle comes back?
>
> I guess I’m wondering if that’s mechanically possible or sounds at all 
> reasonable. If it matters, this issue only effects idle. All other driving 
> conditions are totally fine.
>
> I’ve been dealing with this issue since the night of 11/7 which I remember 
> because it was the day before election day. Since then, the issue 
> consistently intermittent, occasionally almost dangerous, but mostly 
> manageable.  The last two days, though, have been much worse.
>
> Daniel
>
>> On Jan 10, 2017, at 1:20 PM, Mike Fisher <fisherfarms at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
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>> Sounds like Dave Hall, who has seen all types of VW problems before has
>> nailed Daniel's miss?
>>
>> On Tue, Jan 10, 2017 at 5:46 AM, Dave Hall <dave at hallvw.clara.co.uk> 
>> wrote:
>>
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>>> When replying, please consider trimming your message. Thanks! :)
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>>>
>>> It certainly sounds like voltage-related problem.  I've heard of quite 
>>> new
>>> Type 3s running poorly when the Heated Rear window was on.  I doubt that
>>> ever happens now they've mostly gone high-resistance,but the 380W 
>>> generator
>>> is pretty close to maxed out in those conditions when running at higher
>>> rpms, let alone idling, and the demand from the FI is significant.  Hi
>>> output bulbs or standard 45/45?  I'd not thought of the load of 
>>> side-lights
>>> etc, but maybe LED bulbs there could help when conditions are that
>>> marginal.
>>>
>>> Dave.
>>> UK VW Type 3&4 Club
>>> ===================
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: type3-vwtype3.org [mailto:type3-vwtype3.org-
>>> bounces at lists.vwtype3.org]
>>> On Behalf Of Daniel Nohejl
>>> Sent: 10 January 2017 00:49
>>> To: type3 at vwtype3.org
>>> Subject: Re: [T3] cool weather idle hunt
>>> (Trimmed!)
>>>
>>> I have noticed, though, that this hunt ALWAYS happens when driving in
>>> traffic with the headlights on: thus it mostly happens at night or on 
>>> rainy
>>> or snowy days. It SOMETIMES happens under other conditions, but I 
>>> haven't
>>> logged enough of them to report back anything of interest.
>>>
>>> I have a little cigarette lighter voltage meter and I've plugged it in
>>> during this hunt but haven't seen any voltage numbers I haven't seen
>>> before.
>>> With the headlights on in traffic, the voltage can drop as low as 11.5 
>>> but
>>> it comes back up to about 13.8 or more once I get back on the gas which 
>>> has
>>> long been the case.
>>>
>>>
>>>
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>>
>>
>>
>> -- 
>> Eugene, Oregon
>>
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