Komet Petrol T25 1991 fault SU

[badgerT25]

Hello everyone,

I have a Komet T25 1991, petrol fuel injection camper. Bought in August 09
with 56,000 miles on the clock. It has had its fuel tank, pipes and filters renewed last month, also it has had new plugs, HT leads and dizzy cap and rotor arm.

Took us around Scotland no trouble, except when it went into reverse the engine silently died, but always started again.

Last week in a supermarket car park it was up to its old trick again. Started up the engine, went into reverse and the van silently and instantly died. the starter motor turned the engine over, lots of power in battery, plugs were dry, no flooding and there was a spark. Engine would not start. This time was different from before, it never recovered, had to be towed to Volkstech, a garage near us and there it still sits, in bits, on this cold day the 4th November 09. the garage have no electronic testing equipment, this was removed from VW garages to centralize testing, so they have done their best for us at Volkstech.

Found Blue Streak electronics in Nottingham on this site and the garage sent the ECU to be tested. It was OK and it`s on its way back to the garage, today.

The garage have found a unit, possibly called the stabiliser unit behind the rear off side bumper, (or is it called this, do you know differently ???), it is linked to reverse, and other things, Number of this unit is 251907393C. Garage phoned a VW parts dealer and they said this unit has not been made since 1997, and they can`t get hold of one.

Scratch head time......... What does one do in a case like this if this unit is at fault, and owners can`t buy another unit, do we have to scrap the van ?????????? only just bought it...........

Really fed up about this undiagnosed fault, especially because we were packed up to go away for our wedding anniversery on the 3rd November and a birthday on the 5th, so we won`t be going anywhere as it is our only vehicle.

Has anyone any ideas about this fault or unit which is obsolete?????
badgerT25

[72BUG]

Hi Badger and welcome to the forum.

Sorry I don't know the answer to your question but don't panic. There are some very knowlegeable an helpful people on here and I'm sure one of them will be able to advise you shortly. (Although many may be working so be patient)

As for the part, I'm sure it will be available from somewhere. There are ways and means.

May be worth filling out your location in your profile as there may be someone in your area who can help.

[badgerT25]

Thanks Martin & Alison for your reply, and reassurance...I am very worried though, Camper van is in the hospital with no sign of recovery, unless someone has a cure.

We can`t go Badgering around the countryside.
Badger T25

[AngeloEvs]

Does the van still not start at all? A schematic for a 91 FI model would help but If it were mine I would disconnect the wiring at the reversing light switch and anything else mounted on the g/box as a starters to isolate it/them. Aidan might know if your g/box has anything in addition to the bog standard reversing switch that might connect to the ECU.

[kevtherev]

is this an Auto?


it can be bypassed.
I'd be disconnecting it too

[badgerT25]

Thanks Kevtherev and Angloeves for your reply.

It is not an automatic van. Just a high top Komet, don`t know if it has been messed about with previously.

and
It is still in the garage, not fit to drive away in broken state..

It starts only after it has rested for some hours, then in running, it is very lumpy, it will tick over until you switch if off. Then when you switch off the ignition it will not start again for many hours .

When it is in the rest period, (after it has been working) it cranks over, and is trying to start, but never fires up.

The quirk of the van, before all this started, was , it fired up/started and then immediately you put it in reverse it silently and without noise, died. It did not DO THIS ALL THE TIME, it was an intermittent problem.

But it was this problem that occured In its last breath, for it did just that, (start, into reverse, then died) and never recovered till the next day in the garage, it started, and then when they switched it off, and it would not fire up again, for a whole day, .

Are you talking about an old manual / schematic ?
If you disconnect from gearbox, reverse light will not work, is that what you suggest, as a permanent feature?.
badgerT25

[Ian Hulley]

Get the van running, you can always worry about reversing lights later. They aren't part of the test anyway.

Ian.

[Aidan]

I have a spare suffix c idle control unit here if required, that's late DJ 2.1 Dijijet
so what's the injector pattern look like ? if it won't start you have to check the injectors and then back from there cos even with no afm it will start, ignition amplifier and hall unit might be critical, they need to work it up via the procedure in Bentley to find the fault; if the engine turns over with clutch engaged in neutral then the reverse thing is a red herring unless there's some mad wiring fault in the engine bay loom look for melted wire wrap, but reverse circuit is just a fused live to the switch on the box and thence to reverse light bulb and then to common lights earth so easy enough to check the circuit

[syncrosimon]

Could be ignition switch. Make sure the fuel pump relay is being fired when you switch on. You will hear it, and the idle stabilisation unit start to work as soon as the ignition is switched on.

The ignition switches wear and can cause intermittent running, and instant dying.

[badgerT25]

OK, thanks for all that everyone.

There is an update to all this. I have just got a part no 251907393C, a black box behind the right hand rear light/bumper, which the garage said was a possible problem after the ECU was tested and found to be OK. Put in the part but not cured the fault. So it was not that.

Its fuel tank, pump and lines are new, as of last month, and they worked OK.

Like I said it starts, then after you switch it off it won`t start again for hours. Something is not getting through again once engine has stopped.

All sorts of tests have been run on it, garage can`t find the fault, I do not know what to do now, they are about to give up and I am left without the campervan, can`t move it. And it is my birthday,,,,,,,grrrrrrrrr.
BadgerT25

[badgerT25]

Special thanks to Aidan and Syncrosimon, have noted down all you have said and will give the information to the garage tomorrow before they give up on me.

If parts are required will get back to you.

Will keep you informed

BadgerT25

[badgerT25]

Problem solved by Phil, Dave, and Justin at Volkstech Morecambe, who have worked tirelessly over the last two weeks to solve this issue, which they suspected from the beginning. Because Blue Streak at Nottingham said the ECU worked, and was OK and it therefore threw Volkstech off at a tangent looking for other faults.

In the end it was the ECU that was at fault. It was an intermittent fault. Got another ECU and it has fired up everytime, and never stopped.

Beware folks, I sent the ECU to Blue Streak and then in the small print on their receipt they say they don`t test for intermittent faults. Blue Streak must have fired the unit up and it worked, and so they said it was OK, well the old ECU did fire up and then failed on the 2nd attempt. So in the end I was charged £64 for seeing if the ECU fired up, not testing for a fault.

For all you VW camper van owners around the Morecambe area try Volkstech, they care about their customers and their vans.

BadgerT25

[Cafnod]

Its very difficult to test for intermitent faults. If the fault is not occuring it cannot be diagnosed. I had a commer behave like your van 30 odd years ago, was a condenser, been out to loads of fiestas like it for the breakdown clubs and often it was hall efect device. On montegos it used to be a crankshaft sensor that did it..................
The lists are endless. We used to keep a stock of ECUs around from scrappers for the more common vehicles.
I am surprised though that the electronics people didnt try it more than once.
Anyway the van is running now and thats the desired result.