Thread: i know, i lived a sheltered life, but

So here's to ressurecting old posts. A couple weeks ago I was given the opportunity to purchase a nice 91 RRC Vogue SE which had been sitting unused for a couple of years (maybe more, the service sticker said next service in 2008 but it might have been started since then). The body and inside is in very nice condition, been sitting in a barn untouched. After a few checks - things like no mouse nests in the air cleaner, checked the oil etc, I topped it off with good fuel, attached a fresh battery, and it started up first turn of the key, great I'll take it. There were a few problems (abs pump mainly so no driving it home) but I decided to buy it. Today I had to take it to the road from the farm to get it picked up by a car transporter to take it the 300kms home. Wouldn't start this time. There's this thing on the top of the distributor cap in the centre feeling loose and hanging on by a thread - its a Beru VES 402, whatever that is (now I know after reading here its a supressor of some kind). Anyway his thing stopped the engine from starting (engine stank of unburnt fuel after a few unsuccessful turns so no spark) looking at the offending thing it had broken in half leaving the base of the 402 firmly jammed in the top of the dizzy cap (nearest spare cap 300kms away) took me ages to hack it out, breaking bits of the cap off with it - after first phoning a friend to look at his RRC to confirm that this does not belong (I have been driving a TDI for some time and wasn't sure) it had to go. Got it out by mangling the cap and spraying inox to help get rid of the blue corrosion, cleaned the cap as best I could and jammed the HT cable back in, finally got the engine running, but missed the transport truck pick up time. I used up a whole day due to one of these horrible VES 402's - and they still sell them on ebay for some reason. A new lesson learned.

It is a suppressor that goes on the top of the distributor of a 3.9 on the coil input wire.

It seems to be relatively unnecessary , particularly if you replace the wires with the latest type of wire where the current goes through the outer braid like Bosch sports wires.

Its as a result of the later EEC regulations on RF emissions , and why the bonnet is earthed etc. So that you and the cars around you can listen to the radio.
Regards Philip A