Vanagon EuroVan
Previous messageNext messagePrevious in topicNext in topicPrevious by same authorNext by same authorPrevious page (February 2014, week 3)Back to main VANAGON pageJoin or leave VANAGON (or change settings)ReplyPost a new messageSearchProportional fontNon-proportional font
Date:         Sat, 15 Feb 2014 15:30:03 -0700
Reply-To:     Miguel Pacheco <mundopacheco@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Miguel Pacheco <mundopacheco@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Starting system quirk - diagnosis help needed
Comments: To: Steve Cotsford <cotsford@aol.com>
In-Reply-To:  <1B559866-1EC3-4023-9C57-630A76839943@aol.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8

The starter solenoid is not actuating either because it has a mechanical issue, is sticking, or may not be getting adequate juice from ignition switch due to resistance in the wire. If it was the starter, you would hear the solenoid click, but the starter would not come out to play. Another possibility is that, since it's an automatic, that shifter does contain a safety lock. I'm not familiar with that, as I've never had an issue. Good luck

Miguel

On Sat, Feb 15, 2014 at 3:10 PM, Steve Cotsford <cotsford@aol.com> wrote:

> > David, I have had a problem very similar to this. Not with a Vanagon but > with other vehicles which use a Bosch starter. I will explain but I am > not trying to suggest that this is your problem but it is possible > nevertheless. > > I have a Land Rover Discovery with a 4 cylinder Land Rover diesel engine > and it has a very similar starter. I turn the switch to the start > position and invariably I have to wait 1 or 2 seconds before it will > engage and start. I have taken the starter apart and found that the > solenoid piston was somewhat sticky in its bore so I cleaned it up and > greased it very lightly. Upon assembling it it was much quicker, even > instantaneous. Unfortunately the problem returned a month or two later > and I have not repeated the cleaning but I intend to. > > Years ago I had a 6 volt Beetle and the only way I could get the starter > to work reliably was to add a relay into the solenoid activation circuit. > The starter switch activated the relay coil which needed very little > current at 6 volts and the relay contacts switched a direct cable from the > battery to the starter solenoid. The slightly stronger voltage going to > the solenoid was enough to make it work every time. > > > > What I am suggesting is that your starter solenoid is becoming perhaps a > little troublesome and could be replaced or cleaned. It could be the > starter switch which with age has started to dislike passing the amount of > current necessary to activate the starter reliably. Just a thought. > > > > Steve > > > > On Feb 15, 2014, at 4:20 PM, David <okdavid5555@COX.NET> wrote: > > > >> Hello Vanagon listers. I've been a list member for quite a while, but > have > >> contributed infrequently, only when I think I might be able to actually > add > >> something worthwhile to a discussion. I've never asked a question about > my > >> own Vanagon, but now I'd appreciate some help. > >> > >> > >> > >> I've got a stock '91 Carat, automatic trans, with 145K miles (60K put > on by > >> me). I've experienced this issue a number of times over the past six > months > >> or so, and it was never a problem until about a month ago when I > thought it > >> was going to strand me. > >> > >> > >> > >> Here's the symptom: When turning the ignition key to the "start" > position, > >> every once in a while, there is a very brief period of nothing > happening, > >> ranging from a split-second to maybe a half-second. Continuing to hold > the > >> key in the start position, the starter kicks in and the engine starts as > >> normal. > >> > >> > >> > >> I emphasize that this happens infrequently, and when it does, the > period of > >> time before the starter kicks in is usually almost imperceptible, but > it's > >> enough of a delay that you're aware of it happening. There does not > appear > >> to be a correlation between outside air temp or whether the engine is > warm > >> or cold. > >> > >> > >> > >> About a month ago, when I was 100 miles from home, I turned the key to > the > >> start position and nothing happened. Nothing. The usual dash warning > lights > >> lit up when the switch passed through the "run" position, and when in > the > >> start position, nothing happened. There was no dimming of the warning > >> lights; no sound (like a click, for instance) at all. No indication > that a > >> load was being placed on the electrical system. The no-sound and > >> no-light-dimming seemed very odd to me. I repeated the > >> turn-off-try-to-start-again sequence several times, which yielded no > change. > >> Then I got the idea that maybe the neutral safety switch was the > problem, so > >> I moved the gear selector from "P" to "N" and tried again - several > times - > >> with the same result. I even rapidly moved the gear selector back and > forth > >> from "P" to "1" several times, thinking I would "clear" or shake loose > (?) > >> the contact mechanism. This resulted in no change when trying to start > in > >> either "P" and "N." > >> > >> > >> > >> Frustrated, I got out of the van and walked around it in dismay. I even > >> looked on the ground under the engine - as if I'd find some part had > dropped > >> on the ground or was hanging loose (isn't looking at and underneath the > >> engine what we're "supposed to do" when something's wrong? J ) > >> > >> > >> > >> After about 10 minutes of being thoroughly upset and confused, I crawled > >> back in the driver's seat figuring I was going to have to call a > wrecker. I > >> decided to give it one last try before grabbing the cell phone, and to > my > >> amazement, it started right up, without any perceived delay. > >> > >> > >> > >> It has started perfectly since then, however, the infrequent, very brief > >> delay episodes have continued. > >> > >> > >> > >> I would appreciate any advice on diagnosing where the problem may lay. > >> Thank you. > >> > >> > >> > >> David S. > >> > >> Oklahoma City > > >


Back to: Top of message | Previous page | Main VANAGON page

Please note - During the past 17 years of operation, several gigabytes of Vanagon mail messages have been archived. Searching the entire collection will take up to five minutes to complete. Please be patient!


Return to the archives @ gerry.vanagon.com


The vanagon mailing list archives are copyright (c) 1994-2011, and may not be reproduced without the express written permission of the list administrators. Posting messages to this mailing list grants a license to the mailing list administrators to reproduce the message in a compilation, either printed or electronic. All compilations will be not-for-profit, with any excess proceeds going to the Vanagon mailing list.

Any profits from list compilations go exclusively towards the management and operation of the Vanagon mailing list and vanagon mailing list web site.