Date: Tue, 31 Dec 2002 00:36:02 -0800
Reply-To: Todd Last <Rubatoguy@MINDSPRING.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Todd Last <Rubatoguy@MINDSPRING.COM>
Subject: Re: Starting problems...
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed
I may have spoken too soon.
I thought it was the cold as that is when it would seem to strike,
however testing it tonight, I noticed that after coming home from work,
I could not restart it once I had parked and turned off the motor. So it
may indeed be a "when hot" problem that I don't notice until the next
day. Coincidentally this happened right after I replaced the coolant
distributor near the starter, so I'm wondering if any errant coolant may
have gotten on the starter solenoid and precipitated this problem.
Todd
'88 Westy
Larry Alofs wrote:
>Interesting that your problems comes when it is cold. Most of us who
>have had similar problems find that it happens when the engine is hot,
>typically when 2 hours down the hiway at the beginning of a long trip.
>In these cases I have found that cleaning or replacing the solenoid is
>only a temporary solution if it helps at all.
> The design is marginal to begin with; the long wire from the ignition
>switch to the starter ensures that there will be a significant voltage
>drop. Things get worse as the contacts in the switch erode and the
>connectors corrode. The resistance of the wire in the solenoid coil is
>higher when hot so I believe that this causes the problem to show up
>most when the engine is very warm.
> The standard solution is to install a relay; a kit is supplied by at
>least one of the list vendors. I have put similar relays in a series of
>my buses/vanagons: '76, '80, & '84, and I expect that one day I'll put
>one in my '91.
> One point that is often overlooked is that the ground path for the
>solenoid is thru the starter circuit itself. If the brushes/commutator
>are bad enough, even a good solenoid with relay won't activate. For my
>'84 I eventually had the starter rebuilt for $75.
>
>Our family has many fond memories of parking on hills, getting everyone
>out of the van (including Grandma) to push start, or crawling under with
>a hammer.
>
>Have fun,
>
>Larry A.
>
>
>Todd Last wrote:
>
>
>>My van is getting persnickety about starting. Usually when it is cold it
>>refuses to engage the starter.
>>However, if I whack the side of the starter and solenoid, it will
>>usually start afterwards - but not always.
>>(I remembered this trick from having two previous air-cooled VWs.)
>>
>>I'm assuming that the solenoid is sticking. If I turn the battery gauge
>>on the camper panel on, I get a green light - just nothing happens when
>>I turn the key.
>>
>>Can I just take the solenoid out and clean it? Or is this just the
>>beginning of starter failure? battery failure?
>>
>>Todd
>>'88 Westy
>>
>>
>
>
>
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