T3: Trigger Points

[John Clift <jclift@deans.umd.edu>]

Well, 
Since it was so nice out I decided to track down that pesky 
'bucking'feelin that the VW guy at Rainer VW says doenst exist. The car 
had been getting less than normal gas mileage and over that last few 
months got worse till I was getting 10 to 15 mpg. This Rainer vw guy 
tuned my Fastback last summer and it never 'felt' right afters. 
Got to be so frustrating that I mostly drove my Spitfire all the time. 
Love that Spit and runs flawlessly (for British cars, let's be real here) 
but el nino made driving the Spit miserable coz that car loves to leak. 
Anyway I took Wonkers ( thats my FB, my sister named it ok?) to two VW 
places who both insisted I either switch to carbs and.or I was crazy coz 
they thought the car was fine.  I kep insisting that 15 mpg isnt fine and 
the slight 'bucking' feeling isnt fine and I outta know Ive had this  car 
ten years!
(take a breath here)
So today I took off every groundwire and cleaned them with a toothbrush 
and clean rag, reattached the hose going to the charcoal box thingy (not 
gonna help with my porbs but hey, while I was getting dirty!) and just 
for kicks I got out my ohm meter (isnt that a Hindu thing?) and started 
checking grounds. 
Low and behold when I checked the three prongy thingies (I would be great 
at an auto parts counter huh?) I found only one side going from infinity 
to zero. I checked again, put the black probe pointy thing on #12 (I was 
following the Muir Bible) and the red pointy thing on #22 and it when 
infinity to zero ZOOM! ok, then I left the black probe thing on #12 and 
put the red one on #21, and nothing! ( I forgot to mention I was turning 
the motor with a wrench).
I took out the distributor , took out the trigger points and looked inside.
The dist camthat it rides on had the grease worn off one half of the 
shaft, untouched on the other half! Wow, It was only opening one set of 
injectors. could this be right?
I didnt even know the trigger points were adjustable. I then evend out 
the grease on the shaft, put the trigger points back in and tightened the 
screws  but checking the ohm meter as I went along. 
I put the dist back in the car, chacked the plug with the ohm meter, 
while hand turning the motor, and watched the little indicator thing 
swing back and forth.
Needless to say ( but hey we've read this far right?)when i started the 
car it ran perfectly. Drove it down the street, got braver, drove it to 
the store, braver still drove it to the next town and back home. All in 
all about twenty miles and the gas needle barely moved AND the car ran 
smooth and strong.
Before I declare total victory and pronounce the crisis over, I will run 
more and longer test drives, keeping AAA and cell phone withing reach.
Wow, who'da thought?
I still think my pressure sensor is out of adjustment but I wnt touch it 
till I see how it does under normal driving.
The car actually feel like I remember it did.  
The real test will come when I drive it to Monrovia MD in April, I may 
take a long test run beforehand.
I do in fact have a question: Are the trigger points supposed to be 
adjustable? When I loosend the screw I could move the points about 1/8 
inch side to side, this is actually how I fixed it. I Mmoved them side to 
side, found the middle spot and tightened .
I know this was long winded but you may know how relieved I feel. In ten 
years I had almost zero probs. Aside from the usual wear and tear and the 
occasional injector plug vibrating loose. Happend in the middle of the 
might in nowhere New Mexico a few years ago.
Anyway, thanks for listening and for your suggestions, they all helped.
So, Dos Equis anyone?
John 71 Fastback
College Park MD