Date: Wed, 16 Jun 2010 01:12:19 -0700
Reply-To: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Subject: Re: 12.2 V at rest ('85 Westy w/2.1L)
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I think that's marginal resting voltage.
I had a 'whole go-around with getting good starter performance on my 85
Adventurwagon,
manual trans.
Always iffy cranking. Had several starters on it, and a couple
alternators on it.
And new battery. I Had higher charging voltage at the alternator than at
the battery.... a whole volt less at the battery, which isn't good.
85 is the last year of the small battery cable from battery to starter
solenoid, - it's almost twice as big in 86 with the 2.1.
I had decent enough charging voltage at the alternator .... 14.2 ,
something like that, but at least a whole volt less at the battery. So
batty wasn't getting charged that well, and resting voltage was never that
high.
What fixed it really well was another battery cable, direct from alternator
B + post to battery positive terminal, so she has two positive battery
cables in parallel. I also have an extra wire from alt. B + to starter
solenoid terminal, so two current flow routes in parallel there too.
Don't know what my resting voltage is. Might be 12.5 or so.
I consider 12.7 to be a very well charged battery. - I don't see resting
voltage that high usually though. I like to see charging voltage as high as
14.5 at the battery, which is where I usually measure it.
Got fine cranking on the starter now, van can sit for a week, 'click-vroom'
and she's running.
It was doubling up on the main battery cable that did it.
Scott
www.turbovans.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "Karl Wolz" <wolzphoto@Q.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Tuesday, June 15, 2010 11:21 PM
Subject: 12.2 V at rest ('85 Westy w/2.1L)
> Thanks to Frank Condelli, I now have a plug-in voltmeter plugged into the
> cigarette lighter.
>
>
>
> When I go to start the Westy, the voltage is consistently at 12.2V. The
> van
> usually starts right up, though occasionally, especially with hot engine,
> the motor will drag. Starter motor was rebuilt last year, BTW.
>
>
>
> Is the 12.2 at rest normal? It seems adequate. Why the occasionally
> draggy
> starter? This has been a consistent problem with this van through several
> starters, engines, transmissions, ignition switches, and sets of ignition
> wires. I know it will start after it's had a few minutes to cool, so it's
> not a top priority job, but it is aggravating.
>
>
>
> Karl Wolz
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