Date:         Wed, 16 Jan 2008 18:01:36 -0600
Reply-To:     Ray Hill <route66rider@KNOLOGY.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Ray Hill <route66rider@KNOLOGY.NET>
Subject:      Re: Starter system woes
Comments: To: TJ Hemrick <x53gunner@GMAIL.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <989ea5a20801161456m59bcd3afh43d6d964ed39dc46@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

If it was an old GM system, I would suggest a dead spot on the starter
armature.


-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
TJ Hemrick
Sent: Wednesday, January 16, 2008 4:57 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Starter system woes

All,
  I've been hunting a mysterious starter problem and I need your help.  It's
crunch time and I can't tolerate this problem anymore.  It's an 87 Wolfie GL
Automatic.  The starter slowly stopped engaging after key rotation.  Slowly
as in more frequently over a 2-3 month period until it finally quit
engaging.  So, being the vw geek I am, I dove underneath with metal in hand
to jump the contacts.  I ordered a replacement switch, put it in, it just
barely hesitated but started like normal otherwise.  I figured it had been
so long since it did that correctly, I must not have noticed the delay.
Wrong answer-there is no discernable delay.  It just quit working 2-3 days
later.  It starts just fine each and every time I jump the terminals on the
solenoid.  Every once in a while it will rotate and start but only after a
3-6 second delay.  After a previous post to the group, I checked a few items
but no luck.  I've wiggled the gear selector (and even ran it though the
entire range) while holding the key in the start position.  I've jiggled the
key.  No change from either of those.  Is there a way to bypass the neutral
safety switch for testing.  I'm not near my tools currently (long story) or
I'd have the console around the selector in pieces already.  Can ANYONE
think of ANYTHING else that might be doing this?  I'm pretty sure that if
the start rotates when I jump it, it's 99% good.  New starter switch bad?
Possible, but not likely.  Especially since it has the exact same symptons
with the old switch.  Someone put me out of my misery.

Thanks,

TJ