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Date:         Mon, 14 Sep 2015 23:23:12 -0400
Reply-To:     James <jk_eaton@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         James <jk_eaton@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Intermittent hot start problem - check all connections!
Comments: To: "SDF aka ;jim lahey' - Scott" <scottdaniel@turbovans.com>
In-Reply-To:  <55F74248.7090503@turbovans.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

Hi Scott,

1/3 Volt is acceptable in a low current situation - but if it's in the ground connection for a starter motor or a radiator fan motor, that's too high... overheating looms.

Great point about star washers!

James Ottawa, ON

> Date: Mon, 14 Sep 2015 11:55:20 -1000 > From: scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM > Subject: Re: Intermittent hot start problem - check all connections! > To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM > > Nice to read this James. > > I'm sure you know this brilliant test/trick... > to measure the 'current drop' across a ground connection. > > to do this ..one energizes the circuit, > put meter of DC voltage scale, leads on both sides of the ground..like > on body and wire .. > the read milivolts .. > ideally this part of the circuit 'drops' or uses zero voltage of this 12 > volts DC circuit . > in practice it will be a few millivolts, that you can measure. > I think 300 milivolts ( roughly 1/3 of a volt ) is acceptible..above > that , not good. > > also ..great, great trick for grounds with screw-eyes on the wires . > Find a 'multi-star' pointy washer ..put it between screw eye and body ... > the points dig in ...excellent ground that way. > I have noticed this on Renault cars starting in 1970 at the tail lights.. > On an 85 mercedes I own ..they have huge ( 1/2 inch across almost ..and > on a small screw too ..like 6 mm screw or stud ) star washers on the > front turn signal housings. > > but yeah...Connections ..it's very often connections. > I swear, counting all vehicles and electronic and house devices...I work > on and fix 'connections' many Hours a week, every week. No > exaggeration either. > > scott > > On 9/14/2015 11:17 AM, James wrote: > > oh..fwiw ..in all things car performance related ..I find poor > >>>> connections being the real cause as much as a good 60 to 70 % of the > >>>> time...and it being 'a component' that's bad the rest of the time. > >>>> ...i.e. it's not 'always' A Component at all. > > As someone who teaches electronics for a living, and has spent all of his driving lifetime dealing with "old cars" (our family fleet averages 18 years old!), I want to strongly echo this observation. Very strongly. Very, very strongly! > > > > Always check every electrical connection in a circuit. Never assume that 30 year old little plastic connector and it's aluminum or brass strips is still 'all right'. I had a Rabbit once that had a completely dead ignition system, due to a single bad crimp in a single relatively inaccessible plastic connector.... it was hard to reach, but surely that little wire was find, right??? > > > > James > > Ottawa, ON > >


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