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John,

We test drove a 2000 a couple of weeks ago in Colorado.
It definitely had a few changes from the `99, including the
sticker. Yep, they're out there!

- Steve

Larry,

I've seen all over that the VR6 motor using a MOTRONIC Engine Management
System (your powerplant) will run on 87 octane. However, I also know
that the VR6 has a 10:1 compression ratio so MOTRONIC will surely always
retard ignition timing to prevent pinging. Basically it's a compromise
that runs a high compression motor on cheap gas. You never really bring
out the full potential of the engine. If you travel unladen most of the
time, I guess 87 shouldn't be a problem. Of course running retarded
increases engine heat and works up your cooling system but it shouldn't
be a problem if you're in a cold region. (Are you?)

So here's my $0.02 worth.

1. If a motor uses knock sensor (like your), it is most probably high
compression. (NOTE: The older 5 cyl. EV motors had two version. The 93
later ones had knock sensors because they were high compression. The
original motor used when EV first came out was low compression, no knock
sesnors. Since VW "hints" at NOT using 87 octane on the 5-cyl high
compression motors, it does not make sense to me why they suggest it's
use on the VR6 regardless of what kind of engine management system they
put in.)

2. Personally if I had your '99 EV, I'd use 89 or even 91. I'd stay
away from 87 unless it was the "only gas available for the next 100
miles".

3. Note too that the BOSCH W8DTC spark plugs are important. These plugs
have 3 negative electrodes and the engine will only properly work with
them. There was a gas station mechanic that undermined this "hign
fangled 3-electrode plug" only to bring no power, rough idle & misfirng
problems to a 5-cyl. low compression EV that he serviced for a client in
the past on a regular basis. Since the owner was not any knowledgeable,
he eventually resorted to 91 octane just to get some kind of decent
performance. After considerable misery, he just bought a '99 EV. I
ended up buying the 5-cyl and put evenything back to specs. Now it runs
fine on 87 octane, but here I prefer using 89 because the engine runs
cooler and gives a smoother idle. (I'm in So California.)

Regards.

Kit Samson


Lary Saltzman wrote:

Jim,

It might interest you to know that in the Microsoft CarPoint site, the
Overview write-up for a 2000 VW EuroVan (using basically the same
powerplant as a '99) states the following:

Towing Capacity (UNbraked trailer) - 1500 lbs.
Towing Capacity (braked trailer) - 4500 lbs.
Hitch Tongue Weight Limit - 440 lbs.
Payload Capacity - 990 lbs.

... and that "The total weight of trailer & loaded vehicle is not to
exceed 10,000 lbs.".

I do not use my '93 MV to tow but based on these specs, if your 3200 Lb.
trailer is a "braked trailer" it would appear to be well within limit.

Regards.

Kit



Louwsma@... wrote:

On Mon, 14 Feb 2000, Nakamura, Roy M wrote:

As far as the
Online Test Drive write-up is concerned... IT'S TRUE!! IT'S ALL TRUE!

No its not.

First... we need to get past the anger and denial mode and realize that if
we were going to recommend a "great people carrying, reliable, comfortable
and economical to operate" minivan to our own Mom... it would NOT be the EV.

Absolutely. But I wouldn't wish a minivan on anyone. I hate minivans.
THey are just tall station wagons.

The EV is not a mini-van (nor were any earlier VW buses) as Chrysler
defined it. A taller box on a car platform. Now as far as a van smaller
than a full sized van - yeah VW was there first. Well they were basically
'first' with a van that isn't what amounts to what is now called an SUV
that was meant for cargo instead of people.

My choice... the Honda Odyssey. My ex-wife drives a 2000 Odyssey... and
that thing puts the EV to shame. After I remove my middle seats out of my
EVC... my next task is to take 1200MG of Motrin and stay off my feet. The
extra seat in the Honda "effortlessly" disappears under the floor.

The EVC is not as versatile for cargo as the othe EVs. Ist a trade off
camping versus ease for cargo. All vehicle designs make certain choices
as to what is the primary and waht are useful secondary roles. The EVC
makes less sense as a cargo hauler than the EV MV or EV CL/GL/GLS. No
motrin needed from seat manipulation in the EV MV. Though the rear seats
are harder than just folding them down and removing a large potential
amount of cargo space. - Another compromise there. The Honda is a joke
as a cargo hauler compared to the EV with seat removed. THose seasta aer
still there and taking up space in the Honda. And there is less space to
start with so its even more painful.

I don't want to belabor the point... but I shuttle my kids and their soccer
friends all over town.. and most of their mom's have Mopar and Honda Vans...
but whenever new kids try to open the door.... I ALWAYS have to show them
where the latch is. They think that big black bumper thing is the handle...
terrible design... terrible.

I dosagree. The EV Latch is not traditional but better than many
others.

For haouling around a number of kids sure the tall station wagons are
okay. Just don't want to be in an accident in a Mopar box (and I'm a
mopar fan) as they seem to tend to just blow apart. Almost disintegrate.
I lost my MV to an accident that would have been fatal in any "minivan".
My wife and I just walked out of the van. The cops coming to investigate
were sure it was a fatal accident but there we were with no serious
injuries at all.

I'm short... 5';6"... and yes the front wheel well gets in the way too.

I'm 5'6.75" and have not found a more comfortable car to drive than an EV
except a fairly high doloar sports luxury car. PLain old stock '93 EV MV.

Just the way I'm built I guess.

Price... $32,000. ... well, if the EV had all the features that are
available on a $28,000 Honda... the EV would cost over $38,000!.

If the Honda had all the features of the EV it would cost far far more
than it does.

When my co-worker find out how much the EVC cost... they look shocked...
almost dumb founded (some even break a smile and start to snicker). I
remember crossing the border to Mexico in my EVC.. and the Insurance Agent
asked me what the replacement cost of the EVC was. I told him $35,000...
and then he looked at me like I didn't understand the question... now here's
a guy who appraises vehicles for a living! He didn't believe me... so he
referred to the Kelly's Blue Book... then shook his head in disbelief.

So am I surprised that some folks are ignorant? Nope. Even pros.

If Honda made an Odyssey Camper... I might "consider" it.

Until you tried one. Too damned small. It would make a horrendous
camper. As do ALL minivan sized rigs. The old air cooled Westys are
rommier than any "minivan" camper could be.

For the time
being... VW is the only game in town for "mini-van Campers".

Uh. I disagree. Never seena Sharan camper. The EV is a "mid-sized" van.
The LT is the "full sized" by American standards that is.

As a loyal VW
owner... I find myself also questioning why anyone would pay so much for an
EV GLS or MV since there are soooooo many alternatives. Oh Well so that's
my .02.

No problem. There is no other van I would consider. None. BNone have
the features *I* want.

I guess how "I" justify paying so much for the EVC is that I remember
selling my 84 Westy after five years of ownership back to the dealer for
close to what I paid for it. I've also looked for used EVC and they seem to
hold their high resale... I also like to "wave" at other EV/EVC drivers as
we pass.... since they usually wave back. I guess we EV/EVC owners are a
unique and quirky breed.

I grew up with a '69 then '72 Westy. Don't happen to want an EVC - much
prefer the MV. Its just got the features I want. Got vehicles ranging
from Things, a Horizon, Jeepsters, pickups, Suburbans, Conquests, a
Lebaron, and a Willys Tow truck. Have had several others. The EV MV is
by far the most verstile of the whole lot. Only the Suburban comes close.
No doubt in my mind. (And yes I am a redneck in the shadow of West
Virginia - but nothing is up on blocks)

--
bill and diane killian
zen and the art of ferrets

mailto:killian@...

Hi to all,

We're leaving to FL tomorrow early in AM. Snow and ice all around but we
have a two day window to escape the tornado line at the Georgia
border...looks like another super storm brewing in the west too. Thanks to
all for invites but we're anxious to see those silly beaches in St. Pete.
Travelling with no upper bunk in roof so there is plenty of storage for
flat clothes.

Gary from Maine

I bought and installed this awning last summer. I do
not consider myself to be mechanically inclined and
the installation took some effort and caused some
fustration, but I am pleased with the outcome.

The awning sets up easily (the only problem I have is
remembering which poles go in which holes).

When it is very windy the Shady Boy could be a
problem. It needs to be well staked to prevent the
wind from blowing it over the top of the van.

On balance I like the fact that it is so compact and
that setup and take-down require just a few minutes.

--- Lary Saltzman <saltzman@...>
wrote:

Does anyone have any experience with the Shady Boy
awning. It does not
use poles-- it uses fiberglass rods that hold the
awning up and out
without touching the ground.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

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Its easy. Its fun. Best of all, its free.

-- 20 megs of disk space in your group's Document
Vault
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__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger.

Then, later, I'd buy something else (a Bavaria, an Audi 5000) and, surprise!
-- the same thing happened. At first, I thought it was just stupid, then it
would grow on me. Is that just a simple matter of becoming acclimated to
idiosyncracies? Maybe. Maybe a "better design" would be more immediately
sensible, and wouldn't have to "grow on you". But, in truth I think there
is something else going on. I think there is something about German design
that is not *immediately* intuitive, but *eventually* intuitive.

After all, where is it written that the design-of-everyday-things is correct
only if it immediately makes sense? Not too many things in life that are
worthwhile are worthwhile at first glance. Certainly a lifejacket or an
emergency switch should be IMMEDIATELY ergonomically obvious, but your car?
Your beloved car? I think not.

I tend to think there is something about VW's ergonomic design which is non-intuitive.
I don't know if you ever tried to figure out the heater controls in a Vanagon for
example. I needed the manual to figure it out. I think the 76 Rabbit we had for awhile
was similar.
By contrast, I have a 1984 Volvo 240 - every control in there is simple and intuitive - basic
knobs/levers/switches with clear labels.
there are no blind spots either.

Can anyone recommend a source for sheepskins that will fit my 97
EVC-and not cost more than I paid for my first Ghia? Thanks, Elden

we got ours at Costco.

I just picked one up last night at the local grocery store (Albertson's) on
the cover it says they are on newsstands until
2-21-00. Barnes and Noble should have them too. You can order single
copies at 1-800-800-4875. it is the March 2000 issue.

Leif
'86 Syncro GL
'93 EV MV

In a message dated 2/14/00 7:38:34 PM, Roy.Nakamura@... writes:

<< Okay EV/EVC owners... Please don't "Flame Me..." >>

No flames but could you say that in 25 words or less next time? ;-) (just
having fun)
Ron

Jeff,
Concerning your question about the number of people who wrote you, your
article was mentioned on our EuroVan list. Of course we are all EuroVan
enthusiasts so as you can imagine your comments got our ire up. Glad to see
that we can disagree and still respect each other. Feel free to use my
comments.
Ron Biegel
Neshanic Station, N.J.

Thanks for the very practical blower motor replacement instructions. I've
printed them for my future reference file. Somehow I've been able to postpone
this job on my '93 MV by spraying liberal amounts of penetrating oil into the
blower cage. The smell dissipated fairly quickly. I know this is not really
supposed to work but somehow it did quiet the squeal for me so far.
Ron

Thank you Steve.

Don. '99 Weekender

Sklashley@... wrote:

My problem solved . Thanks Charles.
Thanks for the advise Christopher Low

There's an excellent book called "The Design of Everyday Things", by Don
Norman, which discusses this kind of problem in detail, giving lots of
examples of designs and analyzing how hard or easy it is to figure them
out at first glance, and why.

I agree that this design-of-everyday-things is a fascinating concept, and
well worth thinking about. It's part ergonomics, part safety, and part --
dare I say -- culture.

I remember the first time I drove a water-cooled VW. It might have been 76
Rabbit. I thought is was pretty stupid, I didn't like the dash, the seats
weren't right, etc etc. Eventually, years later, when I bought and owned
one for a while, the wisdom of the design slowly grew on me until I just
loved it.

Then, later, I'd buy something else (a Bavaria, an Audi 5000) and, surprise!
-- the same thing happened. At first, I thought it was just stupid, then it
would grow on me. Is that just a simple matter of becoming acclimated to
idiosyncracies? Maybe. Maybe a "better design" would be more immediately
sensible, and wouldn't have to "grow on you". But, in truth I think there
is something else going on. I think there is something about German design
that is not *immediately* intuitive, but *eventually* intuitive.

After all, where is it written that the design-of-everyday-things is correct
only if it immediately makes sense? Not too many things in life that are
worthwhile are worthwhile at first glance. Certainly a lifejacket or an
emergency switch should be IMMEDIATELY ergonomically obvious, but your car?
Your beloved car? I think not.

If the best things in life were immediately obvious I'd be married (and long
divorced) from Holly Towner YEARS ago (but that ain't exactly a car story.)


Mike

James,

Did you buy the seat on the right in the picture? How stable have you found
it using only 2 bolts to fasten to the body?

Alex

Others have commented on the reviewer's general ineptitude, and I
won't bother preaching to the choir about that. But the review did
notice one little annoying thing that has bothered many of my
passengers:

sea2rive-@... wrote:
original article:

I couldn't figure out how to open the one sliding door from the

inside.

I remember being "trapped" in the back of my EVC when the dealer took
me for a demo ride. And nearly every new passenger I take in the van
has trouble figuring out how to open that door from the inside. Of
course, once you've figured out where the latch is, it's very easy,
and not the least bit of a problem. It works wonderfully.

The problem is, that latch isn't where we expect to see it.
Latches on every other automotive door I've seen -- sliding or not --
are below the level of the window. Plus, it's beautifully camouflaged
to blend in with the door design; it doesn't look like a latch.
Finally, there's that funny black rubber bumper down low to act as a
"Red Herring" and distract the novice.

There's an excellent book called "The Design of Everyday Things", by
Don Norman, which discusses this kind of problem in detail, giving
lots of examples of designs and analyzing how hard or easy it is to
figure them out at first glance, and why.

I do wish the VW engineers had made that latch more obvious for
new passengers. On the other hand, that's hardly a significant
criticism of the vehicle as a whole.

And if the reviewer was never able to figure it out, that's an
indication of how much effort was put into the review.

--Rich

p.s. The electric windows confuse many novice passengers, as well.

does anyone know where i can obtain the factory fog lamps for my '93 ev mv ?
i really feel that my van could use some more lumens and i would rather use
the
originals thanks

sendccmai-@... wrote:
original article:

Hello campers!

I'm having some problems with my coach battery (95EVC). First I

can't get it

to fully recharge unless I plug it into a 110 source. The alternator

will

not charge the battery to green even after a 4-hour drive. Is this

normal or

is the alternator/recharging feature malfunctioning? (It will go to

green

after charging overnight on 110 -at home)

Second. When camping in Wisconsin's winter the coach battery dies on

the

second night due to the almost constant use of the furnace. Propane

use is

not an issue but battery power is. It's a Wal-mart extreme deep

cycle

battery. Is it worth investing in an Optima $170.00 deep cycle

battery?

Third, Nokian all season tires rock in the snow. I have no fear of

getting

stuck. My old 87 Westy was awful in the snow compared to my 95 EVC

I guess my first question would be is your alternator charging the
coach battery at all. To check this, see what the coach battery voltage
is without the engine running, then check it with the engine running.
If the readings are the same the battery isn't being charged by the
alternator. I'd suspect the dual battery solenoid as I had to replace
mine. It's located on the firewall in the vehicle battery compartment.
Not hard to replace, just be sure not to overtorque the nuts on the
terminals. I ordered a replacement through the Winnebago dealer.
I also use a Walmart deep cycle battery in Wisconsin and it works fine.
Marve
'95 EVC