Club 80-90 Forums

Hi
(Posted this the other day, but in the wrong forum)...
I'm a new owner and total newb when it comes to mechanics really, so apologies if this description isn't clear and becomes quite long!
I've done a few searches but not found anything exactly the same, so here goes:
I recently bought a T3 Westy in Holland and drove it back to the UK via Belgium. It is an 85, with 1Z 1.9TDI engine conversion, 5-speed dogleg box.
The van happily pinged along at 65-75mph from Holland to Belgium in the dry, where I had a meeting to go to. After the meeting the rain started and my journey to Calais and back in the UK was entirely in the rain. After an hour or so, again doing 65-70mph, there was a total loss of power.
The engine was still running at normal tick-over revs, but pressing the accelerator did nothing. Luckily a very nice chap called Eddie who spoke English (my Flemish is none existent!) towed me off the motorway and proceeded to drive me round the nearest town looking for a mechanics that was open at 5pm on a Friday...3 garages later we found one. We went back to pick the van up and tow it to the garage, and what do you know, it revved from the engine block and then accelerator just fine. The garage plugged in their computer but found no error codes of note. It seemed like turning the ignition off reset something?
This same thing happened again near Brugge, after pulling over, turning off, waiting a few mins and restarting all was then fine to Calais; happened again (still in the rain) about 10 miles out of Dover, same thing resolved the problem, tho I had to wait a little longer.
Since then we've MOT'd the van and it passed with no advisories and have been waiting for the registration to come through.
Got the plates this weekend and drove from Windsor to Esher to Volksworld in the sunshine-van didn't show any signs of the accelerator failing/power loss that I had in the rain...so I'm at a loss! Anyone suffered similar or got any ideas?

There is one other slight oddity-at about 1/3 travel on the accelerator at about 50 and 60mph, if you try to accelerate gently the van gets a gentle shuddering feeling. Ease off the pedal slightly and the shudder stops, put you foot down and it stops. Only felt this at these speeds in 4th and 5th, but will see if it happens in 3rd at lower speeds.

Again, I'm a bit stumped so any thoughts welcomed.

Thanks

Sounds like the ECU is going into limp mode, possibly water is getting into the wiring somewhere. I'd suggest finding your pedal sender for a start and have a close look at the connectors and wiring to see they're sealed properly.

Thanks syncroandy. Not sure it's going into limp mode as it's literally idling, no response when you depress the accelerator and not enough revs to so anything other than move a few yards and then dip the clutch again.
Will have a look at the pedal sender connections and wiring though. As you say, it send like an electrical problem caused by water.