Date: Sat, 19 Apr 2008 21:49:48 -0500
Reply-To: Dan Hall <elektro@WESTAL.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Dan Hall <elektro@WESTAL.NET>
Subject: '86 Westy cranking trouble
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed; delsp=yes
I have an '86 Westy Weekender, Wolfsburg edition---pop-top but no
kitchen.
In the past several weeks, I've had a mysterious, intermittent
starting problem. The starter works and the engine turns over fine
but won't crank.
The fuel relays and, thusly, the fuel pump were not cycling when I
turned the ignition switch.
I discovered that if I lightly tapped on the fuel relay box above the
coil with the key switched on, the relays would click on and the fuel
pump would cycle and I'd start it up and off I'd go.
Thinking it was bad relays, I bought replacements. That solved nothing.
I've since bench tested the relays and they work fine.
The big red wires that supply constant current to the fuel relays have
12 volts.
There is a black/yellow wire that runs from the fuel relay to the
coil. The Bentley says this wire is Black/White but mine is black/
yellow. With the ignition switch on, I only had 5 to 6 volts on this
wire. Tap the relay with power on and the relays work, fuel pump
cycles. Then, I tried to start the van as usual after and it turned
over fine but would not start. Now, that same black/yellow wire shows
only 1.2 volts. The relays will not work, even with tapping.
I plugged in a borrowed Digifant ECU but that did not help the
situation. I put the old ECU back in.
I ran a jumper wire with 12 volts to that black/yellow wire on the
coil and the relays and fuel pump all worked nomially.
I had a spare ignition switch and tried that but no joy.
I've studied the wiring diagrams of the Bentley til I'm cross-eyed.
Where does the coil get its voltage supply?
----My Bentley shows from a relay in the 2 position on the panel next
to the fuses in the wiring diagrams but not in the legend of the same
pages. And I've never had a relay in the 2 postion.
-----I tested the resistance of the coil and it seems within
specifications.
What voltage should I have on poles 1 and 15 on the coil with the
ignition turned on?
I have thought about leaving the 12 volt jumper wire hooked up the
coil and then try starting it but am holding off til I hear from the
List.
Any help, advice, guesses would be appreciated.
Dan Hall
'86 Westy Wolfsburg Weekender
"Das Boot"
