Vanagon EuroVan
Previous messageNext messagePrevious in topicNext in topicPrevious by same authorNext by same authorPrevious page (December 2008, week 4)Back to main VANAGON pageJoin or leave VANAGON (or change settings)ReplyPost a new messageSearchProportional fontNon-proportional font
Date:         Fri, 26 Dec 2008 21:51:57 -0500
Reply-To:     Mike S <mikes@FLATSURFACE.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Mike S <mikes@FLATSURFACE.COM>
Subject:      Re: Help--Stuck in Mammoth Lakes
Comments: To: john schaper <tahljohn@SBCGLOBAL.NET>
In-Reply-To:  <855303.1819.qm@web82907.mail.mud.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

At 09:22 PM 12/26/2008, john schaper wrote... >Something's wrong and its not the battery. Drove up here Thur, with >severe snow, etc. No problems. Went to start the 84 vanagon >today--nothing. Charged the battery and the symptom persists. Manual >transmission. I don't hear a clicking sound, but there is a humming >noise.

Sounds like the bendix isn't working. It's a spiral gear which causes the starter gear to engage with the flywheel when the starter spins up. On Vanagon starters, the bendix is assisted by the solenoid. The humming noise is probably the starter spinning, but the bendix isn't engaged to turn the engine.

It might just be stuck - sometimes they can be freed by whacking on the starter. It's probably the solenoid which isn't moving fully - so pound on the smaller cylinder (the small cylinder is the solenoid, the large one is the starter motor). Not hard enough to dent it, just a couple of hard taps with your lug wrench. The starter is up underneath, about even with the rear of the passenger side tire.


Back to: Top of message | Previous page | Main VANAGON page

Please note - During the past 17 years of operation, several gigabytes of Vanagon mail messages have been archived.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.