Date:         Mon, 24 Jun 2002 08:12:29 -0400
Reply-To:     The Bus Depot <vanagon@BUSDEPOT.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         The Bus Depot <vanagon@BUSDEPOT.COM>
Subject:      Re: FW: URGENT: Stranded in Remote Area with disabled wife -
              please h elp!
In-Reply-To:  <F46hfZiZdBUGunkJj5S00020f02@hotmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

> Does it sound to anyone else like he may need the  'hard start
> solenoid kit' like Gene Berg's sells?
> www.geneberg.com , under the electrical section part #GB-639-12U.
> It's about $15US. There is a discription of the problem on the web site.
They have
> overnight or 2nd day air service, I don't know about Canada though.
>
> Or the John Muir 'Idiot' book for aircooleds has a discription of the
> solenoid procedure on pg 446 of the 25th edition I have. I
> understand though that Berg's supplies a solenoid that draws less
> power to close in than the one Muir suggests.


If it is a low-voltage issue, this most commonly rears its head when the
engine/starter is hot (after a bit of driving). This is because the heat
causes the metal housing around the solenoid to contract just slightly,
requiring a bit of extra current to kick the solenoid. Often a short-term
fix is to give the starter solenoid a firm rap with a hammer (or a couple of
raps) and then try to start the car again. Particularly if this makes the
van start (and given that the starter/solenoid have already been replaced),
then indeed I'd try the relay kit.

Incidentally, I sell that kit for about half of the aforementioned price:
$7.95, genuine Bosch, part number WR1.

- Ron Salmon
  The Bus Depot, Inc.
  (215) 234-VWVW
  www.busdepot.com

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