Date:         Mon, 30 Sep 2002 20:50:03 -0700
Reply-To:     Thomas Keefer <tkeefer@SAN.RR.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Thomas Keefer <tkeefer@SAN.RR.COM>
Subject:      Bad Starter??
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

Hey Volks..
I have a stumper for you. I went out and did some work the other day and as
I was doing it I noticed I had left the interior light on from the previous
night. Well, it wouldnt start. I jumped it and then drove around a bit... I
came back and got cleaned up and then went to dinner and everything was
fine. After dinner it would not start again and this time the car jumping me
and I had a harder time getting it started. Thie morning (as I was
expecting) it would not start. I checked the battery voltage and it was
12.8v. I am pretty sure that I am charging properly. Here is the thing.. The
starter doesnt seem as if it is as responsive as before. I had the exact
same symptoms in an old bus that I  solved by putting a relay in at the
started to overcome the substantial voltage drop in the wiring running from
the ignition and it wirred over like crazy after that. I done think that
this would make sense in the van... would it?? Or could my starter be toast
(it is the original but in my 5 v-dubs I have not seen a bad one yet)
Thanks in advance
tOm