Date: Tue, 26 Jan 2016 20:45:23 -0500
Reply-To: Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Starter woes
In-Reply-To: <CA+r=JhphL190he0oYSEi75q-Ri=L4ydLtoJFseh0kjnz4u49Xw@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"
The campers also use the starter solenoid as the ground connection for the fridge relay. The cruise being affected by the solenoid is due to being part of the brake warning light circuit also. On the later vans that bulb check is during engine cranking. If you must add a relay what you need to do is separate that wire(s) and connect it to the starter solenoid side of that relay contact.
Of all the VWs I have worked on I have added a starter relay twice and only one on a Vanagon. I have otherwise been able to find the problem and correct it or prove out that the starters were no good.
Dennis
-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of Larry Alofs
Sent: Tuesday, January 26, 2016 10:26 AM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: Starter woes
Mark,
I have added relays successfully to a number of vanagons in the past. My current driver is the first that I have had with AT and factory cruise.
Since I would like to add a relay, I have read your past posts on this topic with great interest. After spending quite a bit of quality time with the diagrams in the Bentley I have concluded that the cruise system gets a ground signal thru the starter trigger wire and that if this is eliminated the cruise doesn't operate. The only reason that I can see for it to be designed this way is so that the cruise will disengage if someone accidentally bumps the shift lever into neutral while underway.
Does this make sense to you?
Could a relay be installed safely if this function could be duplicated some way?
Thanks,
Larry A.
On Tue, Jan 26, 2016 at 9:02 AM, vw_van_fan_Mark <madvws@cox.net> wrote:
> It is the auto tranny vans with cruise that have the known conflict
> with the added starter relay. The cruise system is more complicated on
> automatics and is tied into the starter switch wiring. This isn't the
> case with manual trans vans with cruise.
>
> Mark
>
>
>
>
> kenneth wilford (Van-Again) wrote:
>
>> Dennis, you are talking about one of those add-on starter relays right?
>> They didn't come stock with one, so this possibility would only be if
>> you have factory cruise and an aftermarket hot start relay?
>>
>> Ken
>>
>> On Mon, Jan 25, 2016 at 9:14 PM, Dennis Haynes
>> <d23haynes57@hotmail.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>> Do you have cruise control and a starter relay? If so you may have a
>> back
>>> feed problem where if you energize the starter relay with the brake
>>> pedal applied the low current requirement of that (wrong) relay will
>>> keep it from dropping out and almost make a latching circuit.
>>> Difficult to explain but there is some interaction with the brake
>>> warning light and the starter circuit and the cruise has circuitry
>>> to make sure the brake light bulbs are good etc. Anyway I have seen
>>> this happen.
>>>
>>> Dennis
>>>
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On
>>> Behalf Of John Rodgers
>>> Sent: Sunday, January 24, 2016 11:59 PM
>>> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>>> Subject: Srarter woes
>>>
>>> Tonight, at a major intersection of two county roads with no
>>> lighting, traffic flying from every direction, my 88 GL engine
>>> stalled out, for reasons unknown at this point. It was running very
>>> nicely. Upon trying to restart, the starter engaged, locked itself
>>> into runaway mode. It kept turning as soon as I pushed in the
>>> clutch. Let ot the clutch and the van tried to lurch forward. It
>>> barely made forward progress because of the incline it was on. There
>>> was an acrid smell thst came I'm sure from over heated insulation.
>>> Finally the starter stopped turning, but Iwas kn the middle of the road, blocking traffic, at night.
>>>
>>> Long story short - this is the second starter in the last year or so
>>> to do this. What gives. What might I look for?
>>>
>>> John
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Thanks,
>> Ken Wilford
>> John 3:16
>> www.vanagain.com
>>
>>