It is either the starter or the ignition switch. There is no other control relay unless one was added. Dennis -----Original Message----- From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of rob campbell Sent: Sunday, May 15, 2005 12:20 AM To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM Subject: starter motor remaining on? Hello- I'm a bit of an engine newb/novice/idiot so please bear with me as I try to explain a problem which occured today. * Van (87 Westy GL) started up normally, but after starting, a high- pitched whine was heard. * This has happened before. Something is stuck "on". Usually turning engine off and restarting it will correct it. Also, it usually goes off after about 30 seconds. It happens sporadically, and very rarely (every couple months). * Attempting to restart the van does nothing, doesn't even try to turn over. This compounds my theory that the starter is "busy" or that some crucial relay is locked in an unpleasant manner. * Today, it did not go off. After about 3 minutes of the very unpleasant sound, I disconnected the grounding strap of battery. * Connecting the grounding strap instantly activated it * Went to the engine to take a look, and the sound seemed to be coming from the starter motor (toward the lip of the engine bay closet to the front of the van) * As I grabbed the Bentley to see what was what, it finally stopped. After looking at the engine diagrams, I believe it was the starter motor, but I have very little confidence here since I couldn't see anything moving. The van usually starts just fine, every once in a while it will hesitate slightly, and I assume I need to work on the grounds. Any ideas on how to diagnose this without waiting for it to happen again? Is this a troubleshooting job a novice can handle? Any theories on how and when this will become worse? Thanks for any input Rob Campbell 87 Westy, Long Beach CA |
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