Almost every ignition switch I've replaced was due to it not delivering power to the FI, the starter always cranked just fine, but no sparks... Just my experience. Jeff -----Original Message----- From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of Jim Felder Sent: Wednesday, December 09, 2015 6:42 AM To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM Subject: Re: Vanagon Starter relay kit Certainly it is an upgrade. Making the switch do all the work of starting the car is a well-known way to wear out the switches, which I have known to last as little as a week anyway if you have to use one that is not top German quality. VW engineers were just getting by with the wiring in the Vanagon and many other cars for years, that's for sure, though they were far from the only ones. If it happens to be a fix as well, let's not worry about that. Especially at the low opportunity cost of the upgrade. Jim On Tue, Dec 8, 2015 at 8:49 PM Larry Alofs <lalofs@gmail.com> wrote: > I tend to think of a starter relay as an upgrade rather than a fix. > True, it can make a starter work when it has become unreliable for > whatever reason, maybe for a while, maybe forever. However installing > a relay proactively, before a problem arises, may preserve that good > ignition switch. An inductive load, drawing substantial current is > hard on those contacts in the switch. I may be wrong, but I have the > impression that most car manufacturers now use starter relays, including VW, post T3. > > Larry A. > > > On Tue, Dec 8, 2015 at 9:07 PM, Jeff Schwaia <vw.doka@gmail.com> wrote: > > > Actually, for the starter to operate properly, that is a pretty > > complete list... power, ground, and the bushing to support the > > starter motor. I guess you could add the starter motor itself to > > the list. But if that's your problem, it's foolish not to replace. > > > > I can understand using a "fix" when in a pinch, but I prefer to fix > > it properly when possible. That "fix" will eventually not work, > > especially > if > > the problem in the bushing. Not fun when you're many miles from > > civilization. > > > > It's great that the "fix" is working for you, I prefer to fix things > > correctly. Just my opinion... > > > > Jeff > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: vw_van_fan_Mark [mailto:madvws@cox.net] > > Sent: Tuesday, December 08, 2015 5:30 PM > > To: Jeff Schwaia <vw.doka@GMAIL.COM>; vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM > > Subject: Re: Vanagon Starter relay kit > > > > You stated the 3 good things like it was the complete list and it isn't. > > > > Jay's kit is far from the kind of hack job you are talking about. > > > > Most people have to pay retail for Vanagon parts and $100 an hour > > for a shop replace them. If there is a $30 alternative to a $200 - > > $400 repair then 'bring it on' many of them would say. Not all VW > > owners have the > money > > to spend for the "right" fix when a much cheaper alternative exists > > and > may > > do the job for a long time, even forever. > > > > In my own case I put a relay kit in one of my Syncros when the > > starter began sometimes acting up. I think that was like 6 years > > ago. I can > afford > > a starter any day but with a diff lock equipped Syncro I am happy to > leave > > the still working starter alone. I don't have a shop and I have to > > lay on the ground under the van. > > > > Mark > > > > > > Jeff Schwaia wrote: > > > "almost true"... is that like "almost pregnant"??? ;-) > > > > > > I guess I'm a jaded VW mechanic. Back when I was a lad working at > > > a VW > > shop in Leucadia (Harvey's Automotive), I saw way too many starter > > relay hack jobs that could've been avoided with a $1 starter > > bushing. Always considered it a lazy, hack-job work around. > > > > > > Do it once, do it right... > > > > > > Cheers, > > > > > > Jeff > > > > > > > > > > > > |
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