WTB-Air Flow Meter ( 0280-200-022)

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murraymuzz
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WTB-Air Flow Meter ( 0280-200-022)

Post by murraymuzz » Thu Mar 29, 2018 12:54 pm

Anyone can help me source an AFM for a 1979 Bus CA that is in good working condition
0280-200-022 ( 039 906 301)
Many thanks

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asiab3
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Re: WTB-Air Flow Meter ( 0280-200-022)

Post by asiab3 » Fri Mar 30, 2018 9:51 pm

Hi there, and welcome to IAC!

Have you given a call to Ken M at the Bus Co in Washington state? I'm not sure where you're located, but he's got a healthy stash of late bus parts. Do you run the oxygen sensor in your fuel-injection setup? If not, you may be able to get away with other year AFMs.

Good luck!
Robbie
1969 bus, "Buddy."
145k miles with me.
322k miles on Earth.

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Re: WTB-Air Flow Meter ( 0280-200-022)

Post by murraymuzz » Fri Mar 30, 2018 10:58 pm

Thanks Robbie, yes tried Ken at BusCo and also BustedBus with no joy.
Yes have the 02 sensor on mine.
Thanks again
Martin

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Bleyseng
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Re: WTB-Air Flow Meter ( 0280-200-022)

Post by Bleyseng » Sat Mar 31, 2018 7:32 am

Isn't it the same as the 80-82 Cali Vanagon's?
Geoff
77 Sage Green Westy- CS 2.0L-160,000 miles
70 Ghia vert, black, stock 1600SP,- 139,000 miles,
76 914 2.1L-Nepal Orange- 160,000+ miles
http://bleysengaway.blogspot.com/

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Re: WTB-Air Flow Meter ( 0280-200-022)

Post by wanderer » Mon Apr 02, 2018 3:01 pm

Fuel Injection Corporation in Tracy California rebuilds AFM, Fuel Pumps, ECU, etc..... for many of the online parts retailers. Ive used them quite successfully on more than one occasion.

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Re: WTB-Air Flow Meter ( 0280-200-022)

Post by murraymuzz » Mon Apr 02, 2018 8:53 pm

Thanks, ive had one from there before, about 1 year ago and for no reason now its not ajustable and the van is running extremely rich.
So looking for another one or source.


wanderer wrote:
Mon Apr 02, 2018 3:01 pm
Fuel Injection Corporation in Tracy California rebuilds AFM, Fuel Pumps, ECU, etc..... for many of the online parts retailers. Ive used them quite successfully on more than one occasion.

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Re: WTB-Air Flow Meter ( 0280-200-022)

Post by wanderer » Tue Apr 03, 2018 7:06 am

Has anyone messed with that AFM since it was installed " about a year ago " ? Once an AFM is initially set, there is no other reason to fool with it. AFM can and do last at original factory settings for thousands and thousands and even thousands of miles. Mechanics and owners alike are wayyyyyyyyyyyy too quick to fool around with adjusting it as they think it will cure a problem that has no bearing on said problem.

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Re: WTB-Air Flow Meter ( 0280-200-022)

Post by asiab3 » Tue Apr 03, 2018 9:16 am

I’m with wanderer on this one. There are a few dozen wires and terminals to check that could fool an AFM/ECU pair into going wonky.

The CA spec bus also requires an O2 sensor to be present and functioning, unless you bypassed it electrically; have you tried this as a diagnostic step? Have you gone through all th steps in the AFC fuel injection troubleshooting chart to rule out wiring or component issues? Since you joined here recently, we don’t know if you’re a seasoned VW mechanic or a new owner looking to fix your first issue.

We look forward to helping you regardless! My friend has a complete spare ‘79 California engine; I’ll see if he has the AFM for sale.

Robbie
1969 bus, "Buddy."
145k miles with me.
322k miles on Earth.

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Re: WTB-Air Flow Meter ( 0280-200-022)

Post by murraymuzz » Tue Apr 03, 2018 1:01 pm

Thanks again wanderer, no basically it was all my fault as I had a issue with the bus cutting out randomly and which i thought was an AFM problem, I disconnected the AFM and forget to reconnect it
and then turned on the engine which caused backfiring an then an over fuelling issue. I did start a thread on the samba a while back https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewt ... light=rich
Anyway in the end I took it to my local vw mechanic who found the problem of the cutting out was an earth fault under the air intake plenum ( nothing to do with the AFM), but still had the over fuelling issue extreme rich condition.
So ordered a reconditioned AFM from FIC which was adjusting with an exhaust analyser fitted. But then for no reason ( no one touched it) reverted back to over fuelling and very little adjustment could be made with the air bypass screw on the AFM.
My mechanic has since gone through a lot of the fuel injection checks i.e injectors have been sent away to be cleaned and checked spray patterns, new 02 sensor installed, new temp sensor installed with readings checked to ecu, vacuum leaks found and fixed

wanderer wrote:
Tue Apr 03, 2018 7:06 am
Has anyone messed with that AFM since it was installed " about a year ago " ? Once an AFM is initially set, there is no other reason to fool with it. AFM can and do last at original factory settings for thousands and thousands and even thousands of miles. Mechanics and owners alike are wayyyyyyyyyyyy too quick to fool around with adjusting it as they think it will cure a problem that has no bearing on said problem.

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Re: WTB-Air Flow Meter ( 0280-200-022)

Post by murraymuzz » Tue Apr 03, 2018 1:04 pm

Thanks Robbie, in my reply to Wanderer above I did start a thread on the Samba a while ago now. Sorry to say i wouldn't call myself a seasoned VW mechanic but I do try things myself. Wish I hadnt on this occasion.
Yes the 02 sensor has been checked working and also disconnected i believe to see if any change to over fuelling issue.
So my next thought was to try another AFM but was hesitant about going back to Fuel Injection Corp.

asiab3 wrote:
Tue Apr 03, 2018 9:16 am
I’m with wanderer on this one. There are a few dozen wires and terminals to check that could fool an AFM/ECU pair into going wonky.

The CA spec bus also requires an O2 sensor to be present and functioning, unless you bypassed it electrically; have you tried this as a diagnostic step? Have you gone through all th steps in the AFC fuel injection troubleshooting chart to rule out wiring or component issues? Since you joined here recently, we don’t know if you’re a seasoned VW mechanic or a new owner looking to fix your first issue.

We look forward to helping you regardless! My friend has a complete spare ‘79 California engine; I’ll see if he has the AFM for sale.

Robbie

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Re: WTB-Air Flow Meter ( 0280-200-022)

Post by wanderer » Thu Apr 05, 2018 4:58 am

Contact FIC and see if they would re-calibrate it for you. Be honest with them, perhaps they will offer you a discount since your not having a rebuild, but just a re-calibrate of the AFM.

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airkooledchris
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Re: WTB-Air Flow Meter ( 0280-200-022)

Post by airkooledchris » Fri Apr 06, 2018 9:26 am

asiab3 wrote:
Tue Apr 03, 2018 9:16 am
I’m with wanderer on this one. There are a few dozen wires and terminals to check that could fool an AFM/ECU pair into going wonky.

The CA spec bus also requires an O2 sensor to be present and functioning, unless you bypassed it electrically

I have had two 79CA busses and they don't "require" the O2 sensor to be present and functioning. If it's there, it'll use it to adjust the mixture, but otherwise it just uses the AFM like it would on a Federal bus and can be tuned accordingly.

The O2 sensor on the 79CA busses should only be used when you want to pass CA emissions, or if you just want to be a really good smog Samaritan for the planet. Unless your AFM is perfectly set to factory specs, the O2 sensor won't do what you want it to, nor what it should be doing, anyway. I've had the O2 sensor/ECU do some really strange changes to the mixture when the AFM has been tampered with. (like making the mixture much richer than you want at idle and WAY too lean at WOT.)

Make sure your TSII is grounded properly and tests correctly. Set your AFM with the O2 sensor disconnected (if you have a way to read the mixture in real time) and set the AFM where it makes the engine happiest according to Colin's writeup here on IAC. If you are monitoring your head temps, take it and see what that does for the temps at load/WOT. I found the engine's happy place easily enough, but had to go pretty rich from there to get the head temps happy. Your engine will tell you what it wants.

If however you have to pass smog, get two AFM's. One of them is for testing and should be always set to factory settings and the other for all other driving. I don't have to smog again unless I sell, so I have two AFM's that I use for 1. City/day to day and 2.Vacation/trip/loaded up driving. It's easy enough to adjust the idle mixture/timing after an AFM swap to get it into perfect happyness once you learn what it likes.

If you don't have to smog, stop using the O2 sensor period.
1979 California Transporter

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Re: WTB-Air Flow Meter ( 0280-200-022)

Post by murraymuzz » Sun Apr 08, 2018 2:17 pm

Thanks for advice, yes it did have an issue with temp sensor not being grounded properly. Doesn't over fuel now at start up which is great. The AFMs air by pass screw is all the way in though ( richest setting I believe.) But runs best at this setting.
Still going to try and find another Air Flow Meter if I can before trying any internal adjustments
Thanks again for help









I have had two 79CA busses and they don't "require" the O2 sensor to be present and functioning. If it's there, it'll use it to adjust the mixture, but otherwise it just uses the AFM like it would on a Federal bus and can be tuned accordingly.

The O2 sensor on the 79CA busses should only be used when you want to pass CA emissions, or if you just want to be a really good smog Samaritan for the planet. Unless your AFM is perfectly set to factory specs, the O2 sensor won't do what you want it to, nor what it should be doing, anyway. I've had the O2 sensor/ECU do some really strange changes to the mixture when the AFM has been tampered with. (like making the mixture much richer than you want at idle and WAY too lean at WOT.)

Make sure your TSII is grounded properly and tests correctly. Set your AFM with the O2 sensor disconnected (if you have a way to read the mixture in real time) and set the AFM where it makes the engine happiest according to Colin's writeup here on IAC. If you are monitoring your head temps, take it and see what that does for the temps at load/WOT. I found the engine's happy place easily enough, but had to go pretty rich from there to get the head temps happy. Your engine will tell you what it wants.

If however you have to pass smog, get two AFM's. One of them is for testing and should be always set to factory settings and the other for all other driving. I don't have to smog again unless I sell, so I have two AFM's that I use for 1. City/day to day and 2.Vacation/trip/loaded up driving. It's easy enough to adjust the idle mixture/timing after an AFM swap to get it into perfect happyness once you learn what it likes.

If you don't have to smog, stop using the O2 sensor period.
[/quote]

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Re: WTB-Air Flow Meter ( 0280-200-022)

Post by airkooledchris » Mon Apr 16, 2018 12:37 pm

I think having a second AFM would be great, esp in your current situation. It's much easier to get back 'where you were' when that simply means swapping the AFM back in. Ideally get a second air box as well, so you just swap the box and not the actual AFM mounted to the box every time. When I want to switch I just swap the air box. It's a 5 minute job.

Now that it isn't as cold as it's been and with some longer drives happening, i'll likely swap in my rich/highway setup and take out the lean/winter/city AFM that is there now. As is I can hit 380* while just cruising along backroads at 50 MPH, which is nice for the heat in the cabin, but makes for some high CHT's if I take it out on the highway for an extended run. (though I can usually dial that in with the potentiometer if needed, more on that later when you find your happy place.)
1979 California Transporter

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Re: WTB-Air Flow Meter ( 0280-200-022)

Post by airkooledchris » Thu Apr 19, 2018 2:07 pm

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds ... id=2167809

This one is listed as being from a 79, tho im not sure the part number lines up with that statement. If it'll work and you just don't have the use of the factory O2 sensor, but don't need it, then id roll it.
1979 California Transporter

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