Date: Sat, 15 Aug 2009 14:16:19 -0700
Reply-To: Zolly <zolo@FOXINTERNET.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Zolly <zolo@FOXINTERNET.NET>
Subject: Re: A newbie needing hard starting help
In-Reply-To: <361701.20751.qm@web54304.mail.re2.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
reply-type=original
If your positive cable connection is good, I would look at the ground
straps. One is at the battery, the other is under the car from transmission
to the body. I file or grind the surfaces shiny, connect them with
stainless bolt and washer, and put big blob of heavy grease on it or
vaseline or spray it with undercoating.
The next one is your ignition switch. Before you would change it, test it
with a new one, $15 or less, use that for a few days to see if it's the
culprit and only then change it. You only need to unplug the one you have
in there and put the new one on and use a screw driver to turn it.
But take care of the ground connections first in any event.
Zoltan
----- Original Message -----
From: "Rene Ditton" <rditton@YAHOO.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Saturday, August 15, 2009 1:38 PM
Subject: A newbie needing hard starting help
> Hello!
>
> My name is Rene and I'm new to the list, though I've been 'listening' to
> everyone's thread for several months. My husband and I recently purchased
> an '83 Westy with a rebuilt '87 2.1 watercooled engine from a Syncro. We
> had ultimate faith in the condition of the van, we purchased it in
> California in April and drove it up to Alaska a week later! It made it
> with flying colors though one thing worried us.
>
> It's hart to start. When it's cranked cold, it has a bit of a delay
> before kicking over (a fraction of a second). It's one of those delays
> that makes you put the clutch in a little more and stop breathing for a
> moment. It always starts, after a couple revolutions....but makes us
> nervous. And the hotter the engine is (the more it's been driven), the
> harder it seems to start it. When it's hot, sometimes it will take 1-3
> seconds to get it to kick over.
>
> We're in Alaska now and have replaced the starter & bushing (per the
> instructions on the list which were GREAT!). With the new starter, came
> no change. It's still as hard to start as before. We had the battery
> tested, it tested fine and all of the connections were checked. I just
> found a string that suggested changing out the main cable going to the
> battery. Should that be my next step? Are there any other testing I can
> do to make sure it is the cable? Are there any other suggestions on what
> to check/replace?
>
> The other little things we're having a problem with may not be important,
> but if it's related somehow I just want to mention it. We have a dual
> battery system, though we're not sure it is hooked up correctly. The
> refrigerator runs fine on 110 and propane, but won't hold temperature
> while on the battery. And recently (within the last month or so) the van
> seems to be getting hot when idling for longer periods of time. For
> example, if we stop at the bank, one of us goes inside and the other is
> outside for 5 minutes in an idling van....when we start back on the road,
> the van 'smells' hot and the temperature is up. It isn't overheating,
> it's just hot and once on the road moving again, it cools down to normal
> temperature. Oh, and just once it the idle seemed to be 'stuck' on high
> while we were driving it. It hasn't happened again.
>
> And one final question. We have the Bentley manual and have been
> contemplating purchasing the John Muir book How to keep your VW alive -
> but it appears it's geared to an air cooled. Would the book benefit us,
> having a watercooled engine?
>
> Many thanks in advance for suggestions! I enjoy the list and look forward
> to the responses and apologize in advance for anything I forgot to
> mention!
> Sincerely,
> Rene Ditton
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