stock shift light?

[Zsolt]

Did your gas milage improve?
Zsolt

Phil Payne wrote:

>>yes, it's an upshift light.  there is a relay type thing that controls
>>it, based mostly on info from a little vacuum switch installed in the
>>advance hose to the distributor, and disabled by the 5th gear switch
>>(and maybe reverse too?) on the tranny.  typically.
>>
> 
> When I bought the old Passat from our treasurer I did the usual check,
> including a MityVac on all those lines.  Nuttin'.
> 
> So I checked around.  One line was chafed through - replaced it, still
> nuttin'.  Diagnosed the vacuum advance unit on the distributor - replaced
> it for not much more (in VW terms) than $0.02; and voila - good vacuum and
> proper advance.
> 
> Also suddenly had an upshift light.  I bought the car with 112k miles on
> it - John had had it since 8k miles and therefore driven a total of 104k
> miles.  Called him about something else and mentioned it.
> 
> "What upshift light?  Car's never had an upshift light."
> 
> I suspect he'd driven over 100k miles with no vacuum advance.  He sold the
> car to me in part because of its high fuel consumption.
> 
> Duh?
> 
> --
>   Phil Payne
>   http://www.isham-research.com
>   +44 7785 302 803
>   +49 173 6242039
> 
> 
> 
>