Date: Sat, 2 Apr 2011 15:32:24 -0400
Reply-To: Mike <mbucchino@CHARTER.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Mike <mbucchino@CHARTER.NET>
Subject: Re: Update on starter
In-Reply-To: <67A9A62F-863C-4871-8B84-6902936AA583@phoenix.aol.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="utf-8"; reply-type=original
When you remove the starter, you can view the ring gear teeth through the
hole where the starter goes. Have someone rotate the engine manually
(slowly) using the crank pulley, while you watch the teeth through the
opening for defects. This will prove that they're not the problem.
Your 'mechanic's recommendation sounds like a BS answer to me. I don't
know of any vehicles that have a separately-removable starter ring gear on
the flywheel or torque converter.
I say it's the Positive cable or Negative ground straps old and corroded.
-----Original Message-----
From: C Snyder
Sent: Saturday, April 02, 2011 3:08 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
>