Diagnostic Question

[Jeremy Nix]

Today, after driving my son Riley home in my bus, I killed the engine by letting my foot off the clutch. This normally doesnt happen to me, but today it was just one of those things. Anyway, the drive to his house was fine. As I was leaving I noticed that the bus felt odd. I was getting hardly any power. The engine seemed to be sputtering. I figured I was out of gas, so I nursed the Pig to the gas station, about a half mile away. It was sluggish the whole way, I'm still thinking that I am just about to run completely out of gas. So I put $20 in the tank. Which gives me about 5 gallons of gas.

 

After getting the gas, I was still experiencing this odd sluggishness. It felt like I was driving with the brakes on or something. I kept checking the E-brake thinking maybe it was on. I drove it like this to the grocery store, went inside for about twenty to thirty minutes, and came out and started it again. It started right up, and the sluggishness was gone upon take off. It drove smooth all the way home. Like nothing had ever happened. 

 

SO my question is... (my questions may sound stupider than most, as I am still a rookie at this)

 

1. Could killing the engine by letting off the clutch while it was running cause me any issues? 

 

2. Could the possibility that I was out of gas almost completely, have anything to do with the sluggishness. 

 

3. Was I just hallucinating the entire time?

 

 

 

 

[Adam]

you might want tp post the engine deets.

if you have  a carb, it may need a cleaning, a piece of gunk could have gotten loose from the bottom of your empty tank.

[Jeremy Nix]

It's a Type 4. The picture here looks just like my engine, except much cleaner of course. 

 

I just drove it for like an hour on a trip to the Goodwill and everything is running good still.  

[Bill Witz]

1. NO I do not see how.

2. Yes, you could have sucked up some trash from your gas tank -it is not good to run if van real low on gas for this reason.

3. No, pull the wire from coil and hold if about and inch from distributor cap with some insulateted pliers (your battery must have a good charge and you do not want any gas to be near by)  the spark should be a bright yellow and really snap . If not your coil could be getting ready to fail.

[Jeremy Nix]

Thanks Bill! I appreciate it! Now I know how to check the coil!

[whc03grady]

1. Maybe I suppose if the killing was quite violent. Maybe something got whacked out of whack (debris, like Adam said), or maybe something in the FI got knocked loose.

 

I thought a really good spark from the coil was supposed to be bluish-white (hence the Bosch Blue Coil), and that sparks tending to yellow--and especially orange--are a sign of a fading coil. Or a dying battery. Or you need new spark plug wires.

 

[Jeremy Nix]

hmmm... I'll look deeper into which color the spark should be. I don't really believe it's the coil, but I'm going to check it anyway. We are heading out to Pagosa Springs on Wednesday morning, hopefully we stay trouble free till then. I want to take the whole gas tank out eventually, and go over it with a fine tooth comb, but I'm not sure if I'm ready for the task of taking the engine out. I'm truly scared that I won't be able to get it back together right once I start disconnecting stuff. I don't want to jinx myself. This engine has been running so well for the couple years that I have had it. 

whc03grady said:

1. Maybe I suppose if the killing was quite violent. Maybe something got whacked out of whack (debris, like Adam said), or maybe something in the FI got knocked loose.

 

I thought a really good spark from the coil was supposed to be bluish-white (hence the Bosch Blue Coil), and that sparks tending to yellow--and especially orange--are a sign of a fading coil. Or a dying battery. Or you need new spark plug wires.

 

[Jeremy Nix]

Okay another dumb question, how come when I look up the Type 4 engine online I get so many different looking engines?

[Bill Witz]

Yes I miss spoke the color should be a blue- white nor yellow or green . you could also look at the wires in the dark and see if they are leaking voltage or if the ends are corroded.

Bill  Witz

adventures in entropty

[Volkster]

So I take it you have fuel injection based on the picture.  The other pictures you are seeing may be of carburetor engines.  Anyway, I wonder if your vac advance is getting stuck or gummed up or something to where it is not moving as it should.  This would create a sluggish condition but still run.

[Jeremy Nix]

Yes it is Fuel Injected. The Vac Advance.... can I check that easily? 

 

[Volkster]

You can.  Remove the hose that is connected between the vacuum can located on the distributor and the throttle body at the throttle body.  Remove the distributor cap.   Suck on the end of the hose (should still be connected to the distributor) and you should see the points plate move when you pull a vacuum (suck) on the hose.  You should be able to hold it in place with constant vacuum.  However, with fuel injection, many things could give it a sluggish condition such as ignition system condition, fuel tank condition, or intake air conditions not to mention condition of the fuel injection system itself.  If you don't have a bentley manual yet, it would be a good idea to get one.

[Jeremy Nix]

I'll do that. I have a feeling that eventually I am going to have to deal with a problem with the fuel injection anyway. I think I remember reading somewhere that it has it's flaws. Thanks for all this valuable information guys.