Date: Sun, 3 Apr 2011 10:05:34 -0400
Reply-To: Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Update on starter
In-Reply-To: <67A9A62F-863C-4871-8B84-6902936AA583@phoenix.aol.com>
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To really figure this out at the time of difficulty you need to know what current the starter is drawing, and what voltage is at the starter while this current is being drawn.
Since the problem is mostly on a warm engine you also need to check for the following:
Over advanced ignition timing will try to stop the piston from traveling up as the combustion pressure is there too early.
A leaking injector can be filling a cylinder with fuel causing a hydro lock situation.
Dennis
-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of C Snyder
Sent: Saturday, April 02, 2011 3:09 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
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
>
