Date: Mon, 24 Jan 2000 16:56:06 -0700
Reply-To: Gary Shea <shea@GTSDESIGN.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Gary Shea <shea@GTSDESIGN.COM>
Subject: Re: Vanagon DEAD- Starter relay- Manually Jump??? Help!
In-Reply-To: <46.c11e73.25be23d8@aol.com>
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
I don't see the original message here but the Subject line is pretty
clear! Ken's advice is excellent, but I start to differ when he gets
to the point of buying a new starter. My experience with starter
solenoids is that they don't go bad so much as they just get gummed
up and stop moving freely, and when you whack 'em with a hammer or
bar, lo they suddenly seem willing to move again. For a little while.
This is a recurring problem on Vanagons, mine has done it twice in
the last 10 years, and you'll find many discussions of it in the
archives..
If you have time, pop off the starter, pull the solenoid off
the starter, put some grease on the solenoid shaft, push it in and out
by hand a few times to lube it up, apply power to the solenoid and
see if it suddenly seems to be just fine. Even if this doesn't work,
you've only lost 20 minutes and you can go get that new starter +
solenoid. Or you can buy just a solenoid from the Bus Depot (or
wherever), something like $25. But I bet it works and you're back
on the road... for free.
I did a lengthy writeup on solenoid R&R probably about a year ago --
it should be in the archives.
I heard mine catch a little bit a few days ago, I could soon be
at it again myself ;)
Gary
On Mon, 24 Jan 2000 KENWILFY@AOL.COM wrote:
> I would check your battery voltage first. A totally dead battery or one with
> a bad cell won't work even with a jump start.
>
> The second thing to try if the battery is good, is to try the ignition while
> someone checks to see if there is voltage back at the solenoid with a
> multimeter. This tells you if you have a starter problem or a ignition
> switch problem. If you have juice to the solenoid wire then your solenoid is
> bad. You could try jumping the solenoid terminal to the starter power
> terminal with a screw driver too if you don't have a meter. If the starter
> cranks over then the switch is bad.
>
> The third thing to try is to have someone hold the ignition on and to tap the
> solenoid on the starter with a hammer (or a metal bar). We have done this
> with sticky starters before and it will work. If this works then the
> solenoid is bad and you should just get a rebuilt starter.
>
> Here is a list of parts available from Van-Again if you need them:
> Rebuilt Starter $135 with a $60 core charge (Bosch)
> Ignition Switch- $8
>
> Hope this helps,
> Ken Wilford
> http://www.vanagain.com
> John 3:16
> Phone: (856)-765-1583
> Shop: (856)-327-0027
> Fax: (856)-327-2242
>
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Gary Shea shea@xmission.com
Salt Lake City http://www.xmission.com/~shea
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