Vanagon EuroVan
Previous messageNext messagePrevious in topicNext in topicPrevious by same authorNext by same authorPrevious page (November 2021, week 1)Back to main VANAGON pageJoin or leave VANAGON (or change settings)ReplyPost a new messageSearchProportional fontNon-proportional font
Date:         Thu, 4 Nov 2021 21:10:05 -0400
Reply-To:     Eric Caron <ericcaron96@COMCAST.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Eric Caron <ericcaron96@COMCAST.NET>
Subject:      Re: Key in power - no start situation
Comments: To: Jim Felder <jim.felder@GMAIL.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <CAFnDXk3aD1d_EPGVbbzWprBnLs=QNMqRAYF-X+hZO+LfFrAMxw@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8

Yup, I have Karl’s adaptor and use that starter in my automatic. At the time total cost was about $100.00 starter from Amazon. It is working great. Eric Caron

> On Nov 4, 2021, at 9:00 PM, Jim. Felder <jim.felder@GMAIL.COM> wrote: > > I buy entire, brand new gear reduction starters for my diesel westy locally > for about $115. Been using one for years now with no problem. Surely there > is similar for WBX. > > Jim > > On Thu, Nov 4, 2021 at 7:33 PM Richard Koerner <rjkinpb@sbcglobal.net> > wrote: > >> My experience? Failing starter. Yes, you can "knock" it to maybe get it >> to oblige. The successful solution? Get one of these: >> https://www.vancafe.com/WV-001-p/wv-001.htm >> Pair it up with one of these: Bosch Hi Torque Starter >> >> | >> | >> | >> | $209.95 | | >> >> | >> >> | >> | >> | | >> Bosch Hi Torque Starter >> >> Bosch Hi Torque Starter >> | >> >> | >> >> | >> >> Do these two things, and worries are over. Yes, probably $500 altogether >> parts and labor. Reliability? Priceless. I spent 2000 miles from >> Missouri to San Diego, always having to bump start motor with inferior >> products. You can't readily do the bump start with an auto trans. I did >> these things, and now I never ever worry. >> >> >> On Thursday, November 4, 2021, 05:13:33 PM PDT, Richard Smith (Smirby) >> <smirby@gmail.com> wrote: >> >> Dear vanagon list folk, >> >> I have a story to tell you. >> >> Long ago, my father purchased a 1985 Vanagon GL Westfalia edition. In 2013 >> I inherited it from him and in 2015 I sold it to one of my neighbours (so I >> could buy a 1987 model). >> >> We are friends and I keep in touch with him and learn about any issues he >> is having with “our old van.” In the past year, he’s had one that has >> confounded both of us. And, thinking back, it also happened to my father >> once or twice. >> >> Here’s the scenario. Keep in mind that we all (my father, me, my friend) >> live on the coast of British Columbia, and on islands. This will become >> important later on. >> >> First my father. Although it only happened once or twice, my father had >> the situation of being in the ferry lineup and the van would fail to start. >> Mysteriously, it would subsequently start and run perfectly and nothing >> could be found to cause it. >> >> Fast forward ten years, and now my friend has the van. He not only lives >> on an island like me, but he has purchased property up the coast, requiring >> two more ferries to get to. And HE has the same issue. Waiting in the ferry >> lineup, you go to load the van onto the ferry and it won’t start. Some time >> later, after the ferry has left, it starts and runs fine. But everyone on >> board the van, including the driver, is traumatized. >> >> In the quest to find out the problem, he replaced almost everything that >> he could think of. It clearly seemed like an electrical issue, but after >> replacing the ignition switch, safety switch at the transmission (it’s an >> automatic), the starter itself, along with various ground straps and power >> wires, the problem continued. >> >> It wasn’t that the battery was dead. It just wouldn’t start. >> >> In between these ferry trips, the van started and ran fine. Never stranded >> them anywhere. What was going on? >> >> Finally, we hit on a possible explanation. There is “key in” power. That >> is, some circuits are active just by having the key in. That’s how the door >> buzzer that warns you that you have left your keys in the ignition is >> activated, for example. My brother used to have his Vanagon’s radio (a >> simple AM radio) wired so that it would run when the key was in the >> ignition. Perhaps others have used this circuit for other things. >> >> And where do you sit, with the key in the ignition but the engine not >> running for long periods of time? The ferry lineup. You are inside the >> vehicle, so you don’t think to take the key out. >> >> Somehow, I think this tiny amount of power is (perhaps) leaking out into >> the chassis and activating something: a relay or perhaps the computer >> itself. This results in the van being unable to start. >> >> Anyway, since we happened upon this theory he has had no further instances >> of the van not starting. Whenever he is stopped for any length of time, he >> removes the keys from the ignition. And, if the key does get left in the >> ignition for a length of time, removing it and reinserting it is sufficient >> to bring it back to normal operation. >> >> I have no illusions that this is a normal operation. I suspect that there >> is a wire cut somewhere, perhaps in the seat buzzer/“you’ve left your keys >> in the ignition” circuit, and it is trickling power into the chassis. Given >> VW’s penchant for completing circuits by interrupting the ground, this >> voltage may be sufficient to light up the computer in the van and cause it >> to go into a funky state. >> >> I would be interested in other people’s view on this theory, and if anyone >> else has a weird no-start situation that seems to be very intermittent. >> Given how seldom any of us would leave the keys in the ignition in our vans >> AND have a wire broken or cut in that “key in” circuit, this may be a >> unique situation. Anyway, I thought I would share it with you. >> >> …r >> >> — >> Richard Smith, Professor CMNS >> 604 653 6073 & smith@sfu.ca >> >>


Back to: Top of message | Previous page | Main VANAGON page

Please note - During the past 17 years of operation, several gigabytes of Vanagon mail messages have been archived. Searching the entire collection will take up to five minutes to complete. Please be patient!


Return to the archives @ gerry.vanagon.com


The vanagon mailing list archives are copyright (c) 1994-2011, and may not be reproduced without the express written permission of the list administrators. Posting messages to this mailing list grants a license to the mailing list administrators to reproduce the message in a compilation, either printed or electronic. All compilations will be not-for-profit, with any excess proceeds going to the Vanagon mailing list.

Any profits from list compilations go exclusively towards the management and operation of the Vanagon mailing list and vanagon mailing list web site.