Date:         Fri, 3 Apr 2020 21:16:22 +0000
Reply-To:     Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject:      So stuff even happens to me!
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So today I drove the 91 to get groceries. Went to a store ~ 4 miles from home. Drove there no problem. Do my shopping. Get in the van, turn the key no start. No cranking at all.

So it a bit cool rainy and nasty out. After getting my lack of patience when stuff don't work figured lets see what happened.
So at first though is battery dead! I have one of those USB sockets wit voltmeter. 12.5 volts. Turn key, warning lights on, turn key to start, dim slightly. Ried with gear shift not in park or neutral, no change, so in park the dimming tells me we are trying to energize the solenoid.

So go in back. Who put all the groceries on top of the engine? Yea, move all the stuff. Get rid of the mattress and rug, lift the cover watch it fall, lift again and move it so it stays up. Anyway, look for anything wrong, nothing. So thinking just a case of maybe solenoid sticking or excessive voltage drop. So get tool box. Piece of wire. This is a GoWesty starter so there is an unused terminal on the solenoid harness. So make jumper and connect from terminal back of alternator to solenoid. It cranks. Go back up front, turn on ignition, go back, use jumper to start and on my way.

Get home, try with key and its works as it should! Go figure.

Dennis