Urgent advice required please

[haydn71]

Hi all
We are away on holiday on the French Germany border. The van is struggling to run but I noticed that one of the aluminium heat exchanger pipes had broken. I have just, after several glasses of red wine, reattached it. Could its detachment result in poor running?

Hanks in advance for any advice.

Haydn

[Hacksawbob]

Aircooled?

[haydn71]

Sorry, 1.9 DG water cooled

[toomanytoys]

No.. if you mean the warm air duct off the right have exhaust....

"struggling to run" could be the symptom of lots of things..

[CovKid]

Yup, and can't see that hose making any difference. Changed the air filter lately? Try removing it and see if engine runs better. In hot dusty weather (when they really do the most work) they can clog up with dust and pollen, starve the engine of air unless its revving and it'll struggle to idle.

Done it more than once but in this heat you can actually wash them through with a washing machine liquid, sit out out to dry completely in the sun then put it back. Amazing how much muck comes out of them. A new one preferable ofcourse but if you can't pick up a new one (depending where you are), it'll clean out the rubbish and better than no filter.

Most likely to be a hose off somewhere though.

[haydn71]

Thanks for the responses. Very wet here. Feels like a fuel problem or electrical. Will have I check connections. Ta

[itchyfeet]

Going to need to be a bit more specific for us to help
it starts ok or takes a while
Will it idle but not rev?
will it rev but not idle?
is it lumpy?

have you got tools and a general mechanical experience if we were to suggest some tests?

[haydn71]

Thank you all for responses. Got to the bottom of it. Contacts on the distributor were burnt up. Cleaned them up and rotor arm and seems much happier now.

big relief. Heading into Black Forest tomorrow.

cheers, Haydn