Date: Wed, 22 Jun 2011 11:55:00 -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: Remote Starter Switch Wire-up for '88GL
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re
"Because once the motor
starts turning on it's own,
you're a long ways away from turning it off "
true if ignition is on.
often when using a remote starter switch the ignition is kept off..
like you're testing compression, testing the starter itself etc.
but yes..
darn right need to be super careful at all times.
I use a push-on connector right to the 'trigger terminal' at the starter
solenoid.
Some have two terminals there...so just plug onto one.
if there's on one trigger terminal, get a 'double up' push-in spade
connector ( not as easy to find as they were back in the old air-cooled
days ) .
then I just run it to near the alternator.
it's not 'that advisable' to touch the end of the wire to the alternator
positive post ..but you can in an emergency. Normally you'd connect your
remote starter switch between that hot post and your cheater wire. I just
cap mine off with a twist type wire connector ..like you'd use in house
wiring .
tuck it out of sight ..
and make sure it can't touch anything electrically ..
and you're good to go.
you could go to the trigger terminal of the starter booster relay that you
have installed..
but that defeats part of the idea of this cheater wire..
the idea, for starter troubleshooting is, that the entire rest of the van
and all starter circuitry are out of the picture when you are triggering the
solenoid directly yourself with the cheater wire and a remote starter
switch.
One groggy day long ago...........early 70's ...
I had to get under VW bug to get it to fire up.
somehow it came down off the jack in gear and took off on it's own ..
didn't get far fortunately. That was fun. So yes...always be super careful
working on cars ..
there are LOTS of ways to hurt yourself or others working on cars. !
for example..
I have a rule to never do a tweak or an adjustment on an engine while it is
running ..
unless it's really necessary , like to adjust idle. So even if it's just
add a wire tie say ..
something you'd think takes a second and can't possibly be dangerous ..I
only do that on , no matter how minor, on an engine that is not running.
Safety rules and procedures work better when observed black-or-white. You
don't drive 50 feet without a seat belt on. You never have loose clothing
or jewelry on working on a car. You never touch a running engine unless it
needs to be running for the procedure, etc.
what fun. Do good safe solid-workmanship vanagon work !
Scott
www.turbovans.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "Steven Johnson" <sjohnso2000@GMAIL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Wednesday, June 22, 2011 10:24 AM
Subject: Re: Remote Starter Switch Wire-up for '88GL
> Just a suggestion. PLEASE BE CAREFULL!!! Make darn sure you know
> exactly what
> you're doing electrically when you go to hook up and use this remote
> starter. And follow
> all the suggested warnings regarding things hanging down e.g. hair, neck
> chains, bandanas
> transmission in neutral or park, brake on etc. Because once the motor
> starts turning on it's own,
> you're a long ways away from turning it off again with close to 2,000 lbs.
> of metal just aching to
> run your ass over or a belt wanted to tug you in for an extra close
> shave....
>
> Steven
> 91 Westy
>
> On Wed, Jun 22, 2011 at 9:45 AM, David Beierl <dbeierl@attglobal.net>
> wrote:
>
>> At 12:02 PM 6/22/2011, John Rodgers wrote:
>>
>>> One lead would go to the battery post on the starter, and the other lead
>>> would attach to either one of the two male connectors on the back of the
>>> solenoid. Is that correct??
>>>
>>
>> I just have a Radio Shack crocodile-clip lead with one end on the
>> starter connector as above and the other dangling from a vacuum hose
>> near the alternator. The boot covers the exposed end of the clip -
>> to start I just lift the clip up and press it onto the alternator B+
>> stud. Low mass, low price, always available, no button to
>> accidentally press. And another five or six clip leads in the
>> package. NB - they have three sizes of clip leads, all useful and
>> reasonably well made, in packs of several. The crocodile clip kind
>> is the largest one.
>>
>> Yours,
>> David
>>
