Help broke down in Missoula

[andrew kacsur]

Hello everyone I just joined this group yesterday, my girlfriend and I are on a road trip back to ny from the west coast and I'm having some serious troubles with my 83 vanagon. Had a tune up just yesterday in Milton,wa and the mechanic did some linkage adjustments to the transmission because it was having a problem shifting into third gear. She drove great afterwards until this morning. Started having the shifting problem again. Then crossing the border of Idaho and Montana she just wouldn't go up the hill anymore just stopped so I pulled off quickly with her last might and just laid down and slept for about an hour. Started her up and she boogied up the l,sat stretch to the reststop . Four hours later it was driving fine made it to Missoula. Now within the last hour it won't accelerate . I step on the gas and nothing. So I,m kinda stuck. Gotta be back east by Monday. I can get it fixed by a friend back home so it's either fix it here quick and drive or ship it home and either fly or rent a car and drive back. Any help would be appreciated.
I have aaa so I can get to within 100miles of here.

[Big Blue's Driver]

Try sending http://vwcamperfamily.ning.com/profile/whc03grady a message through this site. He's in the general area and might know a place you can ditch it or get it checked out...

[whc03grady]

Your best bet in Missoula is Mountain Imports, 1800 S 3rd St W, 406.721.3395. Next choice would be Import Palace, 1358 W Broadway, 406.543.6396. By my reckoning Mountain Imports would be more amenable to letting you ditch it for a while; Import Palace is more of a one-man operation and he can tend toward crankiness.

When you say you have to be "back east by Monday", do you mean you have to be in Pennsylvania by Monday?

[andrew kacsur]

Yea. I di n but she does I have until thurs morn to b back

[Ryan G]

John at import palace will be MUCH cheaper the mountain imports. Plus he is the kind of guy that can rig something to make it work instead of making you pay for a full fix. Not to say mountain imports is not good they just charge big$. Another guy in town is called culvers. Are you water or air cooled. I got you PM and can lend a hand with tools and workspace but it is hard to tell what is going on with your description. I hope this works out for you.

 

[Ryan G]

Ryan G said:

John at import palace will be MUCH cheaper the mountain imports. Plus he is the kind of guy that can rig something to make it work instead of making you pay for a full fix. Not to say mountain imports is not good they just charge big$. Another guy in town is called culvers. Are you water or air cooled. I got you PM and can lend a hand with tools and workspace but it is hard to tell what is going on with your description. I hope this works out for you.

 

[Ryan G]

Does it smell like your clutch is burning? Also check out MT westys  facebook page a lot of vanagon guys there that may have some advise too.

 

[andrew kacsur]

Culvers got me going man for cheap. It was a clogged fuel filter and bad o2 sensor

[andrew kacsur]

Thanks for the help

[Ryan G]

Great glad you got it figured out! Good luck and safe travels.

[whc03grady]

How did I live in Missoula for four years and not hear of Culvers? Is it mostly BMWs?

Glad it worked out.

[andrew kacsur]

Www.culversauto.com its called culvers foreign imports. Righr nexr to a hydro shop