Date: Mon, 4 Jul 2011 13:12:07 -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: Starter solenoid: R&R?
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
reply-type=response
I have never believed much in 'bad solenoid.'
though I know people have success with that method.
there are 3 parts to the starter..
the solenoid, the motor, and the drive gear.
the solenoid depends on the motor itself for it's energizing path,
so it's not especially likely the motor part is fine ..
and the solenoid only is tired.
sometimes you can take the whole thing apart, clean everything up ..
and get it to work some more.
If it looks like it's been on there 40 years..
it's due.
If the whole starter works fine but the drive gear acts up now and then..
I just bought a drive gear in an electrical rebuilding shop for only about $
25.
I took them the starter for them to get the bosch part # of it.
that particular starter..
it's on an extremely well preserved sunroof 82 diesel vanagon I have for
sale ( expensive ) ..
and that starter..
in the period it's cranking before she fires up ..
is the absolute newest sounding starting I have ever heard in a vanagon ..
lots of them sound a tiny bit grindy sounding on the flywheel teeth ..
this truly does sound factory new..
it was a case of a fine strong starter and solenoid ..just the drive gear
got weak..
when I buy a bosch rebuilt starter...it's over 150ish plus turn in core.
if I take a starter to a local rebuilder..
it can be more like 90 bucks to have them go through the whole thing.
don't forget to check the starter bushing in the bell housing too.
they hold really well generally, and it's something you have to check. (
manual trans I assume ) .
In every case, if whacking the starter makes it work again or one more time,
it's tired, and due to be replalced or gone through.
igniton switch has to be good too of course. Those are on the slightly weak
side in vanagons.
Removal is fairly straightforward.
I often remove the throttle body to get at that nut behind it, but you don't
have to remove that part to get at that nut if you don't want.
.......assuming one can get one's van up properly on a smooth hard surface
and well supported.
If you don't have that ..it's five times harder.
And one can not really take care of and work on a vanagon propery without
getting it off the ground and well supported on jack stands now and then.
scott
www.turbovans.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "Don Spence" <dkspence@TELUS.NET>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Monday, July 04, 2011 8:56 AM
Subject: Starter solenoid: R&R?
> Trying to get my 83.5 wbx back on the road after sitting for the past
> year plus. Fresh battery but when turning key to start I get
> nothing. I did remove and replace the low amp wore to the solenoid a
> few times, cleaned the grounds etc. After tapping the solenoid with a
> large wrench it did work briefly but has now "gone back into
> retirement".
>
> What is the best/easiest way to remove it? Can it be disassembled and
> cleaned or must I replace it?
>
>
> Thanks in advance
> Cheers
> Don
