Date: Wed, 9 Dec 2015 14:41:41 +0000
Reply-To: Jim Felder <jim.felder@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Jim Felder <jim.felder@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Vanagon Starter relay kit
In-Reply-To: <CA+r=JhpZ4sLj6L-HD_yT9N-gZdzBkFZ9J-OeMbLi_-FHS7yiwQ@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
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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