The best guide to troubleshooting in general (it's actually written for
air cooled VWs, but it gives you the right philosophy) is John Muir's
"How to Keep your Volkswagon Alive, a manual of step by step instructions for
the compleat idiot"
It has a section called "VW stops, won't start." It gives a VERY scientific
way of going through step by step what's required for the car to run. Things
like:
"Step 1. Check fuel. Sounds silly, but how about gasoline. Go to the
front of the type I, III, and IV (types of VWs) or to the side of the bus
and take off the gas cap and rock the car. If you hear the sound of silence,
go get some gasoline to pour in the tank. If you hear a swishing noise, and have no fuel gauge, check the reserve valve to make sure its open and if it is, go on to the next step."
The important thing for computer trouble shooters to get from this book is not
how to fix a VW (although when I bought it I had one). It's to start with the
condition "okay, what doesn't work?" and think about what (in broad terms) is
required for it to work, and systematically make sure those things are there.
It's also a hoot to read.
--
Jim Strickland
jim_at_DIESPAMMERSCUMcalico.litterbox.com
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Vote Meadocrat! Bill and Opus in 2000 - Who ELSE is there?
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Received on Mon Nov 02 1998 - 16:57:23 GMT