Date:         Tue, 11 Jul 2000 21:19:57 -0400
Reply-To:     "Joe L." <mejoe100@earthlink.net>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         "Joe L." <mejoe100@earthlink.net>
Subject:      Re: Vanagon won't start !
Comments: To: =David-M= <dmc@cyburban.com>
In-Reply-To:  <396B2A09.522D@cyburban.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

       I would still suspect your battery. Three questions:

1. Define "receintly"
2. Why did your battery need a recharge?
3. What state of charge was the battery in when you started the recharge?

   Unless you can point to an event that discharged your battery (like
leaving the lights on or there being some kind of fault in your electrics)it
is possible your battery discharged itself (bad cells).
   Ordinary batteries are NOT designed to take a "deep discharge". Whatever
discharged your battery may have brought your battery so low that damage was
done.
   In either case it is possible that your battery can **TAKE** a charge but
not **HOLD** a charge.  These damaged batteries will sometimes look
perfectly normal to the average guy. They charge up fine, 13+ volts on the
meter, may even start the car for weeks if you drive the car a lot so the
car charging circuit continually "tops the battery off" but if the car is
left alone for a couple of days the battery has time to toss the charge so
that the car that always started before now sits there and clicks at you.
     Throw another charge on the battery then take it to your local FLAPS to
have it load tested.




-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM]On Behalf
Of =David-M=
Sent: Tuesday, July 11, 2000 10:07 AM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Vanagon won't start !


Hi All
I'm sure glad the list is back, the day it went down my Vanagon refused
to start for the first time ever.
I'm stuck in a public parking lot which a tow-truck cannot get in.

When I turn the key, the lights dim but no starter action. There is a
click to be heard at the back. The battery is good - it was recharged
recently.

I have a new ignition switch and starter motor arriving shortly (took 2
weeks from Bus Depot!). My question, which is likely to be the culprit?
If its the starter motor, is it fairly easily replaced? The Haynes and
Bentley give different instructions. I'm not the world's greatest
mechanic, but I have changed starter motors before but not in a VW.
Any tips much appreciated.

- David
1987 Wolfsburg (currently 'dead')