On my '86, the big positive wire on the alternator goes to a black plastic junction box mounted on the firewall just above the thermostat housing. Inside the junction box, the wire is bolted to a stud which is the main connection point between the battery and the alternator/starter motor. I found this point to be corroded and the resistance was causing the connection to heat up. This is the most likely spot to cause a big drop in current/voltage going to the engine from the battery. The fact that you only have problems when starting makes it seem likely that the battery does not have a clean path to (or thru) the engine compartment. Once the engine is running, all the current is supplied by the alternator. On 1/27/06, Wesley Pegden <wes@cs.uchicago.edu> wrote: > > Today I tried a new ignition switch and changed out the transmission > ground strap. Neither fixed the problem. I don't have any ideas past > the starter at this point. I also tried jumping the battery, as some > have suggested my problem might still be a bad battery. No dice. > > > -Wes > > Roger Sisler wrote: > > ground straps, ignition switch plug,then take your new starter to an > > advance auto parts store and have them test it for free. > > > > > |
Please note - During the past 17 years of operation, several gigabytes of
Vanagon mail messages have been archived. Searching the entire collection
will take up to five minutes to complete. Please be patient!
Return to the archives @ gerry.vanagon.com
The vanagon mailing list archives are copyright (c) 1994-2011, and may not be reproduced without the express written permission of the list administrators. Posting messages to this mailing list grants a license to the mailing list administrators to reproduce the message in a compilation, either printed or electronic. All compilations will be not-for-profit, with any excess proceeds going to the Vanagon mailing list.
Any profits from list compilations go exclusively towards the management and operation of the Vanagon mailing list and vanagon mailing list web site.