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Date:         Mon, 5 Oct 2015 12:57:34 -0600
Reply-To:     Loren Busch <starwagen@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Loren Busch <starwagen@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Fwd: * 10/4/2015 Needed NOW! Vanagon (1981) ONLY starts when
              cold /How To FIX this advice. PLEASE . . .
Comments: To: Jim Arnott <jr.arnott@gmail.com>
In-Reply-To:  <B59DC275-042B-4103-9BD7-C86D47582375@gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8

We really need to know your location.

On Mon, Oct 5, 2015 at 12:31 PM, Jim Arnott <jr.arnott@gmail.com> wrote:

> This showed up in my inbox. Probably ought to be in the Vanagon List’s > inbox as well. > > I don’t know that Ms. Linda is on list, so please remember to reply all. > > Jim > > > Begin forwarded message: > > > > From: "LEM" <lemberkeley@yahoo.com> > > Subject: * 10/4/2015 Needed NOW! Vanagon (1981) ONLY starts when cold > /How To FIX this advice. PLEASE . . . > > Date: October 4, 2015 at 9:05:19 PM PDT > > To: "LindaMerrill" <lemberkeley@yahoo.com> > > Reply-To: lemberkeley@yahoo.com > > > > 10/4/2015 Needed NOW! Vanagon (1981) ONLY starts when cold /How To FIX > this advice. PLEASE . . . > > > > HELP! [Okay to forward to "right" wise ones] > > > > Do You know how to solve this? > > To get the Vanagon starting reliably warm > > and cold? > > > > > > Or, do you know someone who will/might > > know how to solve this? > > To get the Vanagon starting reliably warm > > and cold? > > > > Do you know "the right person" who I can > > talk to ASAP about how to fix this, and who > > should do it that I can actually afford? > > > > > > HERE is what I Know/think: > > > > (A) > > In the last few months, my 1981 Vanagon > > stopped starting when it is warm. > > > > It starts easily when cold. > > > > Once the Vanagon is driven far enough to > > warm it up (maybe a mile + ), the van will > > not start again until it is cold again. > > > > Given an hour-plus to cool down, the van > > will again start again, just fine. > > > > (B) > > Several people have worked on this -- and > > charged me for that -- and the car still only > > starts when cold. > > > > (C) > > The Bosch starter has less than 200 miles > > on it. A new/rebuilt started caused the same > > only-cold starting a few days ago. > > > > The second, long bolt to hold the starter on is > > missing. I got a M10 D-Head 123 mm bolt > > from The Bus Lab, and a mechanic was not > > able to install that bolt -- saying it does not > > fit / "wrong bolt" -- today. > > > > (D) > > This is an ASI camper conversion, and has > > an old auxiliary battery under the driver's > > seat -- which does not hold a charge. > > > > Months ago, someone disconnected this > > old auxiliary battery -- to keep the battery > > isolater from trying to charge IT instead of > > the main, passenger-side battery. > > > > With only the one battery hooked up, the > > battery isolater still seems to be working, > > the alternator seems to be working, and this > > very new battery seems to have adequate > > power. > > > > The temperature gauge does not seem to > > work properly, and sometimes jumps and > > stutters, going right from barely warm to > > hot and back in two seconds. > > > > (E) > > Yesterday, a very accomplished Volvo > > MechanicB was confident he could diagnose > > a solve this no-warm-starting. > > > > I easily started the cold car, drove it several > > miles to the two mechanics, and shut it off. > > And it would not turn the engine over, warm. > > > > We waited for it to cool down, and MechanicA > > prepared to swap the "newish" Bosch > > starter back in so I could return the brand-new > > starter. > > Starters out, MechanicA saw that the "fat" > > wire that goes to the starter had a broken > > specialized connection. So, he used a nut to > > hold that wire firmly in place on the threaded > > on-starter connection; then he attached the > > two thinner wires to the same threaded > > on-starter connection, below the fat wire. > > > > Then I started the now-cold VW with its > > Bosch starter, and took it for a test drive. > > I got it warm, stalled it, and it would not > > start. > > We pushed it to pop the clutch, I drove it > > back to their place, and they began testing. > > > > MechanicB (the expert) tried various things. > > MechanicA watched a few warm non-starts > > and saw that the Bendix was not being > > thrown far enough to engage -- when the > > van was warm. > > > > MechanicB looked at the positive battery > > wire by the post and said it was too flimsy. > > (Someone had spliced this too-thin wire > > onto the wire coming from the rear years > > before I bought the VW.) > > Well, he reasoned, if this cable gives a > > marginal connection when cold, maybe it > > carries too little power when hot. > > (A grounding issue somewhere?) > > > > So, both mechanics connected a good battery > > to the starter (using jumper cables, I think), > > from a few feet away, at the rear of the VW > > ar of the VW. > > Then, they used the same wire to "jump"? > > the starter without using the ignition key > > -- I'm getting fuzzy here -- > > and the still-warm car started right up. > > > > So, MechanicB felt that his diagnosis ** had > > been confirmed: > > the non-original positive battery > > wire . . . was too flimsy. > > (Someone had spliced this too-thin wire > > onto the wire coming from the rear years > > before I bought the VW.) > > Well, he reasoned, if this cable gives a > > marginal connection when cold, maybe it > > carries too little power when hot. > > (A grounding problem?) > > > > > > AND. MechanicB reasoned that IF > > *** he got a correct-gauge battery cable, > > with connectors at each end and ran it under > > the car from the starter to (the positive > > ground ??? ) on the battery, all would be well. > > > > OKAY: MechanicB did his *** good-cable > > purchase and battery-to-starter swap-in ... > > He then started the cold car with the > > ignition key, drove the car in circles around > > a building to warm it up, and then shut it off. > > > > AND, now warm, again it would not start > > with the key (one guesses that an observor > > would again see the Bendix only going > > part way toward engaging . . . ), just as before. > > > > MechanicB is very upset, and thinks that a > > push-button starter, on the steering column, > > will solve this . . . And he has no other ideas. > > > > MechanicsB and A have NOT > > found a starter relay on this van > > and believe that the ignition switch must > > be fine. > > > > > > MechanicA was not involved today and > > I filled him in by phone. MechanicA does not > > see how a push-button starter will fix this > > situation, if the low-power doesn't get the > > Bendix to thrust all the way and engage. > > > > > > ...... > > > > I need to get this car starting reliably! > > And, I paid for the AUG 2016 registration, > > which needs a smog certificate to complete > > it. I want it to start when warm before I take > > it to a Test-Only smog shop, and I park this > > VW on the public street. > > It needs to be smogged so it can stay safely > > parked on the street. > > > > Money, time, and car functioning are major > > issues for me here. Into small savings to > > pay for this already ... > > > > I need: the repair actual solution, a truly > > affordable person to "get it done right the > > first time," and to pass my smog. > > > > ........... > > > > Thank you So much! > > Nowe that you know all non-mechanic I > > can think might apply, here are my original > > questions again: > > > > > > > > Do You know how to solve this? > > To get the Vanagon starting reliably warm > > and cold? > > > > Or, do you know someone who will/might > > know how to solve this? > > To get the Vanagon starting reliably warm > > and cold? > > > > Could this knowledgeable "right car person" > > please talk with me about how I can get > > this car fixed ASAP an starting when warm? > > > > ((( Really low on funds, I have a new ignition > > Switch for this 1981 Vanagon that I could > > take back for the $27 refund. Are there any > > relays (what kind?) or wires you suggest > > I buy tonight?. > > > > Do you have any helpful diagrams or > > instructions you could forward to me? > > > > I so wish I knew how to do this, so I could > > do it myself. Or be helpful to a mechanical.))) > > > > > > > > Thank you! > > > > > > Still hopeful . . . and distessed, > > > > L > > > > > > > > >


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