79 bay bus just died

[dano]

HELLLLLP K now that i got that outta my system have had the bay for about a year NO problems runs perfect went to gas station filled it up got back in and NOTHING no power anywhere no radio no lights no nothing i have never seen this happen out of the blue like this no blown fuses any suggestions im at a total loss guess start at the battery and trace to find problem ?????

[Piledriver]

HELLLLLP K now that i got that outta my system have had the bay for about a year NO problems runs perfect went to gas station filled it up got back in and NOTHING no power anywhere no radio no lights no nothing i have never seen this happen out of the blue like this no blown fuses any suggestions im at a total loss guess start at the battery and trace to find problem ?????

Welcome to the STF!

As Douglas Adams once wrote: DON'T PANIC.

A bad//corroded connection (usually at the battery) is the problem 99% of the time on ~ANY vehicle with those symptoms...
...perhaps at fuse box//bad ignition switch would be the second places to look for 12V.
(after checking if the battery was just like.... dead. The ignition switch usually gives much warning)

On a US spec Bay bus, the big red/white wire from the alt goes to the starter, then IIRC to the fuse box. (at least electrically, YMMV depending on POs, refer to actual vehicle schematics as I have slept since last I looked, offer only good on alternate Tuesdays, a 50% restocking fee applies)

The ground strap from body to the trans also needs to be checked, but it usually induces a great deal of weird before it completely dies, esp with EFI.

A casino would not take a bet that it WASN'T the battery connections.

[dano]

k you were absolutly correct replaced battery and cables back running hey thanx ... Now i know the bus is too much for me so im gonna get rid of it just not cracked up to tackle a vehicle like this not smart enough to do simple repairs nice fantasy but cant do it . new question how much do i ask for it to sell. how do i know what is a fair price theres no source for book values for these

[Piledriver]

k you were absolutly correct replaced battery and cables back running hey thanx ... Now i know the bus is too much for me so im gonna get rid of it just not cracked up to tackle a vehicle like this not smart enough to do simple repairs nice fantasy but cant do it . new question how much do i ask for it to sell. how do i know what is a fair price theres no source for book values for these

It's not much worse than any other car... In most all cases it's easier to fix than ~anything else.

How much?
Depends on a lot of things... rust, paint etc... location is major.

[Stray Catalyst]

You should check Craigslist in your area, and see if anybody else is selling a similar bus. If you're on the left coast, there will be plenty of them, and they'll be fairly cheap. If you're out in the land of winter and salted roads, there won't be many... and they'll be a lot pricier.

Think twice before you sell it. If you got a year of use without a single major problem, you have a gem on your hands, and you won't be that lucky if you ever buy another. Buses are great fun.

Stray

[dano]

Its in great shape physically body has only a few spots where it has been repainted and the paint is bubbling ever so slightly i broke the drivers side door handle and the speedo doesnt work anymore and it only has 1 rear seat the other was taken out and i never got it . some rust inside around the windows but only surface rust the window behind the drivers side has some pretty good rust under the rubber but its not clear thru the metal. i live in wyoming we dont use salt just alittle sand . the motor ???? i have no idea about doesnt leak any oil or burn it just has NO POWER wont even hardly pull itself around town. runs great at 20 mph cant get it out of 3rd gear just falls on its face .. my guess is rebuild the carbs and replace the distributor with an HEI unit and it will be ok ? I just dont know enough about it. is my problem . Thats why im here hehehehe

[Stray Catalyst]

You might want to get a local shop (one that's good with VW's, not just a Jiffy Lube or similar) to take a look at the engine and give it a tuneup. Ask for a compression test - if all four cylinders are over 100 psi, and none of them are more than 15 lbs apart, you have an engine with plenty of life left. If you're over 125 in all cylinders, you have a fairly recent rebuild with years of life left. If, on the other hand, you have one cylinder that's got little or no pressure, or all of them are lower than 100, your engine needs a rebuild. It's possible to rebuild a VW engine without experience, as long as you have the right books and tools - it does help to be mechanically inclined, but as long as you can follow directions, you can rebuild it. I rebuilt my first VW engine before I knew how to change my own oil, following the (in)famous John Muir book, "How to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive, a Manual of Step-By-Step Instructions for the Compleat Idiot." If the bus is what you're driving to work, you're going to need a ride for a while - days if you're fast, experienced, and have all the tools, otherwise weeks at least.

If your bus has a carb, or carbs, then it's almost certainly not the original engine - get the number off the engine and we'll be able to tell you what you have.


Stray

[dano]

ok we have decided to keep the bus and go for it !!!! i have it running but not very good engine code GD007902 used to be FI but has dual singles on it now what brand i have no clue. so far i have sprayed carbs down with carb cleaner and installed new points plugs and wires adjusted the carbs so it will idle and runs as best it will .
issues NO POWER will not go uphill even in 1st gear runs smooth on flat ground @ 20-35 mph cannot get out of 3rd gear falls on its face im wanting to replace carbs so i know what i have and install a new ignition system been lookin at the Computronix any advice or help would be great thanx again andI LOVE MY BUS I CAN'T GET RID OF IT WHAT THE HELL WAS I THINKING

100_3612_2.jpg

[Piledriver]

Looks like a nice, happy Bus, glad you came to your senses

Before going to a new motor, figure out what's wrong with this one, if only so as not to move the problem to the new engine...

Is the coil hooked up right? "-" side goes to points, "+" side has 12v...verify.
That in particular will cause "idles OK but won't go over 35 MPH" syndrome due to weak spark.

Timing correct? Valves adjusted (1/4-1/2 turn past contact IF and ONLY if you still have hydro lifters. .006" otherwise, set cold (sits at least 4 hours))

Fresh plugs? Old fuel can varnish coat a set of plugs in seconds...
Is the throttle opening? All the way? (verify)

Next: Compression test, with throttle open. You should be able to borrow a tester from a FLAPS.
Try to get the screw in kind with a hose, the rubber plug setup is not happening on our engines.

[dano]

ok went thru P.O. paperwork and they were trying to get it to meet emission testing by jetting down and changing idle jets main jets and all kinds of crazy stuff to no avail. so im thinking i'm gonna replace the carbs and dizzy and add exhaust. here is what i'm considering but not sure on carbs... Kadrons 48mm maybe too big or a 40mm set i like the ease of installation of the Compu-tronix ignition system and the GDown exhaust. has anyone used or seen the compu-tronix system. i can set point fine but dont like the reliability my engine is the 2.0 and some have said the electrical may not be strong enough to make the points run hot enough????

[Stray Catalyst]

For about that much money, you can probably get back the FI system it used to have... it'll be a lot more reliable, AND a lot more likely to pass that emissions test.

Stray

[Sneaks]

I can understand wanting to do upgrades but I really think you need to slow down and determine what the problem is before you toss good money after bad at new parts that forvone, might not fix the problem and two, require tuning and configuring which at this time you don't have the skills yet. The key here is 'yet.'
Follow pile's suggestions, he knows what he says and realistically, the reason you came here is to get advice, correct? Use it. This is the same bus that lost power after replacing the battery? Did it run well before that? If yes, then why look at the carbs? Look electrical first. Is everything connected correctly? You've replaced the points and condenser, what about the coil? Learn what you have first, then go from there. It ran well before, it can again, you just need to learn what failed.
Whatever you do, don't fall into the common inexperienced hole of throwing parts at it when you don't know what is wrong. All you will end up with is a smaller bank account, a big pile of parts you don't know if will work and a bus on the classifieds for less than you have into it because you can't fix it.

[dano]

sorry beeen working alot lately. ok ill back up to the beginning to give everyone helping me a better idea of what i have and what i have done so far. the bus never really ran that well when we bought it. the PO fried the wiring harness to the FI system or something happened to cause that. THEY cut the wiring harness out of the bus and replaced it with dual single carbs. according to the receipts i have and all the paperwork THEY . tried to get it to meet utah emissions.by changing the jets in the carbs not sure what or how or what size even they used . the bus when i bought it would barely pull itself down the road at 20 mph. So far i have hosed the carbs down with carb cleaner . new K&N air filters ran 3 tanks of premium fuel thru it replaced the plugs wires points and condenser new dis. cap and rotor and a new coil and new battery and positive cable and ground cables. I have checked all ground straps and they are in good condition fuse box and all fuses have been replaced with new ones. emergency flasher switch replaced all lights and signals work great. had no heater tubes or fan or any of that stuff . the bus starts ok and idles once warmed up runs ok at 20-35 mph . PROBLEMS- wont pull itself up any kind of a grade at all 1st gear wide open running start it will barely get up to my house a 3% grade 1/4 mile will not pull itself on a flat road in 4th gear just slowly slows down to the point of lugging so i down shift to bring rpms back up to keep moving.from a dead stop takes approximately 40 seconds to get up to 30 mph i have checked compression and they read as follows 1=101 2=102 3=99 4=101 . these readings are my best guess needle was right at 100 plus and minus less than a needle width so i figure 100 lbs compression across the board . PLANS replace carbs with ones that i know what is what and how they are setup . replace the dis. with one that after i install it I wont have to mess with and replace the exhaust with something that will give the bus a sound i like and let it breathe a little better. the bus is a toy for me i do enjoy driving it its a blast and i enjoy learning how to take care of it and maintain it .thank you all for all that you have done for us i have learned so much here it has made the learning curve a little shorter and i always come here and search before i do anything sorry so long winded thanx all

[Piledriver]

Your compression is probably OK .. what altitude are you at?
(throttle held WOT and fully charged battery, no plugs for best repeatability)

What is the timing set at?

Did you check the coil polarity?

It's probably something simple.

[dano]

altitude is 6770but we go as far up as 9800 on the roads we drive or would like to drive it on anyway . and the plugs were all out and i held the throttle open while my buddy watched the tester. timing is at 7.5 BTC thats what the book says is correct points have been set with a feeler gauge and then redone with a dwell meter my buddy checked that IDK how to and its his dwell meter . the coil was hooked up the same as the old one the positive to positive and the negative to the negative. mike checked the coil with a voltmeter on the positive side while i cranked the motor and said it was swinging the meter on the positive side so I'm sure that all my ignition is correct by the book . i have 3 the how to keep your vw alive , a Bentley and i believe the kellerman book on the bus spelling may not be correct. between me and mike and what we have found in the PO paperwork they started at 140 jets and went down to 120's I'm guessing these are the main jets but they also changed idle jets no sizes listed and there is a bunch of chicken scratches that i can't understand but they did something else with accelerator pumps ??? my dad was saying that you can do something like retarding timing to give more power but i don't want to mess with that unless I'm 100% sure of what I'm doing so I'll leave it at stock settings . so I'm closing in and all things point at not enough fuel or something in the carbs ??? What would be a good setup for a stock 2.0 webbers duals or singles or are the kadrons the best . I'm waiting on a set of valve cover gaskets then we are going to check valve settings and set them properly . So after that is done I'll have to make a decision on what to do with the carbs . again thanks for all the help and advice