Wonder What is Wrong...

I posted a question about my van troubles to the usually helpful Vanagon mailing list. I got a few useful tidbits like how I need to check my battery connections, clean out my fuel filter, and how to test my fuel injection system. The down side was that I received this rant from a guy bashing me for just guessing at the problem. The funny thing was that after ranting and ranting how stupid it was to just guess at what is wrong rather than actually diagnose the problem he suggested I replace my fuel pump with another to see if that was the problem. So in spite of the ranting about not following proper diagnostic procedures he was suggesting that I just keep replacing parts until something works. Ahh the irony.

I'd be all for doing the right thing but without multiple vans, any diagnostic tools, any spare parts, or even a garage to work in I don't think that will be such an effective strategy. Its not that I don't understand the merits of proper diagnostic procedures. I'm a computer scientist professionally - a good bit of my job is to diagnose and solve problems in systems that aren't working. I know the right way to approach a system that isn't doing what it should be but for some reason I'm just not interested in doing this the right way. I'd rather throw parts and or dollars at this thing until it just works. I want to just ask a mailing list and be told that my whatchamacallit is busted so I better stick in a new one. I want to call up CarTalk and have those guys laugh and tell me I should replace a hose after they've finished their chuckle about my old van. Basically, I'm looking for easy here - this is a project that is supposed to be fun.

I'm not sure I'm going to turn to that list much more. It isn't the bashing, it's more that I am very susceptible to the siren song of the people who populate such lists. One minute I'm just a guy with a van who likes to take it camping and the next I am suddenly believing that in order to own one van I need to own several, rent a garage space, replace my own engine with a Subaru, and buy thousands of dollars worth of tools. Its all just too intense. This morning I found myself wondering if I should buy a shifter rebuild kit as preventative care to avoid my shifter crapping out on me and leaving me unable to shift gears. That doesn't sound like something all that unreasonable to do but I know myself well enough to know that it is the first sign of a sickness. I've been down this rabbit hole before.

Nope, I think I'll just stick to what I know and focus on making the camper the greatest camper ever. I don't really want to get absorbed in the mechanical. I'll try fixing the parts that break in the interest of saving a few bucks but I don't need to become a mechanic. What I need is a good reliable shop that I can take this thing to when it breaks. If I buy anything maybe it should just be a car dolly so I can use my Tacoma to tow this thing to the shop when I can't drive it. Still, I can't shake the feeling that I'm acting like an alcoholic trying to rationalize having a few glasses of champagne at a wedding. Part of me wants to jump in there, understand everything, fix it all on my own and part of me just wants to remain a blissfully ignorant guy with a sweet van that breaks down sometimes.

Current status: sitting on the edge of a deep dark hole with a van that won't turn over hoping everything works out just fine.