Date: Sat, 2 Apr 2011 12:46:49 -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: Update on starter
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="utf-8"; reply-type=original
Hi,
it's too bad that ordinary shops don't take close-uip pictures of things
like your starter ring gear teeth ..
then email you the picture so you can actually 'see' what they're talking
about ..
and you could put the picture somewhere where we could see it too !
heck....I do that with even my local customers..
shoot pics of the 'exciting stuff' ..,
either the old trashed out parts ..
or the new shiny repairs..
plus ..
spelling out in an email the costs and deails of the job ..
nice written record there ..
way mo' betta than doing it all by phone.
and we could see a picture of this 'flaired' out flywheel teeth thing too if
they did that. .
it does 'fit the symtom' somewhat....... that it could be stronger cold,
and have a harder time warm or hot.
The teeth there being the problem. Hard to be sure ..
knowing what it looks like would help.
I'd take a real careful look at the trans ground strap myself.
and..
as mentioned...I only use genuine rebuilt Bosch starters myself ..
never a problem with 'em.
just giving you the choice of an expensive torque converter ..
and it sounds to me like there is mainly 'hope' about that ....is not that
convenient, let's say.
I mean if it's that bad ..
they 'could have' ...or 'might have' noticed it while swapping starters and
advised you right there..
'this ring gear on the t-q doesn't look that good.
we can try a new starter ..but that may not work out, given how these teeth
look' ..
and then you'd know right there..
that it might be a starter only ..
or there might be more to it.
I don't think many shops really understand the concept of 'being in service'
..
like a nun is in service to god ..
it's not really in the american common consciousness anyway. ..
it's closer to 'get all you can get' ..
many shops take minimal responsibility for the results they produce ..
and are not that often really, really committed to good results at a fair
price.
keep us informed !
scott
www.turbovans.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "C Snyder " <titantic01@AOL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Saturday, April 02, 2011 12:08 PM
Subject: Re: Update on starter
> Frist of all my apologises to the list for the spelling. It was early this
> morning and it didn't help that this email program I can not figure out
> how to do a spell check lol
>
>
> Anyway, They did check the battery and even used a new one to see if that
> would help which it did not. The mechinic said he thought that the teeth
> on the flywheel (touque converter) had been flared-out????) and that when
> the starter pinion throws the starter gear out to engage with the fly
> wheel teeth it is binding. I have never heard of this but it does this
> more when the car has been driven and shut down the restarted. It doesen't
> do it so much when I start thecar in the morning,which again makes no
> sense to me.
>
>
> The only thing he said I could do was to buy a new torque converter/with
> the ring gear as on this car they are welded togeather. Thats around
> $160.00 just for the part which I really don't think is the problem.
>
>
> Thanks again list.
>
>
> Chris
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Ken Wilford <kenwilfy@comcast.net>
> To: C Snyder <titantic01@AOL.COM>
> Cc: vanagon <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> Sent: Saturday, April 02, 2011 at 7:06 am
> Subject: Re: Update on starter
>
> Chris, not sure what the ring gear on the torque converter has to do
> with the starter turning over slow. More likely is some type of
> electrical problem. Either a bad ground strap on the transmission (at
> nose of trans to frame) or the wiring from the battery to the starter is
> getting degraded. Of course there always is a chance that you have
> gotten a few crappy Autozone starters in a row, but it is highly unlikely.
>
> Has anyone tested the battery yet? That is one of the first things I do
> to be sure it is up to snuff. Let me know if I can help you further.
>
> Ken Wilford
> John 3:16
> www.vanagain.com
>
>
> On 4/2/2011 3:32 AM, C Snyder wrote:
>> This ia an upae on some problems I've been having with the starter on my
>> 1987 Wolfburg with 2-wd and gas engine.
>>
>> I had the starter checked out about a week ago and they put a new starter
>> in after the one thats been in the car since before I bought it in 2001.
>> The starter would not hardly turn the engine over so I took it to the
>> place here in Springfield, MO that the list members here sait the shop as
>> good.
>>
>> Anyway, I took it back cause the rebuilt on tat they bought at Auto zone
>> was doing the same as the old one, it turns the enging over very slowly
>> if at all some times. I hve to let go of the key then, try it again until
>> it does start. not fun lol.
>>
>> Yesterday, they replaced the starter with a rebuilt one they got from
>> Auto zone ( am not a real big fan of Auto zone.) So after the put the new
>> starter in, the same thing happens,,, it doesen't have enough power to
>> turn the engine over. Adding a jump box to the mix seems too help a
>> litle.
>>
>> The tog mechinit toled me that the torque converter has to be replacedbe
>> cause the theth have "Flatened-our" from old age and you can't buy just
>> the ring gear as he said that it's weldered on to the trannie and they
>> cost like $100.00 .
>>
>> After leaving the garage, I stoped off at a gas station and after
>> filliing the tank (which almost gave me a heart-attack for the price of a
>> gallon of gas.
>>
>> When I tried to start the car to leave the gas station it was worse then
>> ever and I was beginng to wonder if I was going to have to get it towed
>> by to the shop I had just left from.
>>
>> Hope some of our versed Vanagon people here can share some light on this.
>>
>> Chris
>>
