Date:         Fri, 27 Jan 2006 15:08:51 -0800
Reply-To:     Robert Fisher <refisher@MCHSI.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Robert Fisher <refisher@MCHSI.COM>
Subject:      Re: recap (still not fixed) Re: Update (not fixed...) Re: FIXED?
              (and, advice needed...) (was: Re: low voltage,
              starter running intermittently, but alternator is okay?)
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
              reply-type=response

A bad battery won't 'jump' most of the time, in my experience.

I don't have a manual tranny, so I haven't seen this bushing for myself, but
I'm wondering if it's possible that whatever the bushing seats in could be
out of kilter (bent, crud beneath it, etc.) and is therefore causing it to
bind, even tho it was replaced? Just shooting in the dark here...

Did you try Roger's suggestion of jumping the terminals on the starter?
Sometimes a bench test of the starter isn't conclusive because it's just
being tested in the free air and not under the conditions under which the
starter is trying to operate while in the car. Jumping the terminals is like
doing a bench test under real life conditions. I use the jumper cables for
the test. If it doesn't crank then, you're either not getting sufficient
juice from the main cable itself or the starter is bad.

For that matter, you can take the wires off the starter altogether and use
the jumper cables (if you have a set long enough) to run from the battery
itself to the starter, eliminating all the in-between stuff. Go a step
farther and disconnect the wires at the starter and give it current from a
different known good battery (have to hook up the neg. to do this). Just be
very careful with your cables. One of these steps has to isolate the problem
for you.

Good luck,
Robert

----- Original Message -----
From: "Wesley Pegden" <wes@CS.UCHICAGO.EDU>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Friday, January 27, 2006 2:31 PM
Subject: Re: recap (still not fixed) Re: Update (not fixed...) Re: FIXED?
(and, advice needed...) (was: Re: low voltage, starter running
intermittently, but alternator is okay?)


> 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.
>>
>>