On our recent trip, I noticed that Mellow Yellow's starter had quite a bit of hesitation when the engine was warm. Turning the key would result in a single "chug," then a pause, then "chug, chug, chug" and the engine would start. This is not new, it's been going on for a couple years at least, and it's getting worse. Two possibilities come to mind: high resistance in the starter motor main current path, or weak starter battery. I am in agreement with David Beierl that fat copper cables don't "wear out" or develop high resistances due to age. Without damage to the insulation, the copper will be fine. The transmission's ground strap was just re-tightened when the transmission was pulled and replaced. Besides -- should a warm engine be easier, not harder, to turn over? I lean toward the theory that the starter battery is getting long in the tooth. Those things do wear out. Unless someone talks me down, I'm just going to go out and buy a replacement. -- Rocky J Squirrel '84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana") '74 Westrailia: (Ladybug Trailer company, San Juan Capistrano, Calif.) Bend, OR KG6RCR |
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