Date:         Thu, 21 Jul 94 10:13:46 CDT
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         jwk1@cec.wustl.edu (John William Kuthe)
Subject:      Re: "Muir solenoid trick, and resistance!

Randy writes, (among other things)
> However, now the starter gaily turns over but the engine
> doesn't always start.  If it's been sitting for more than
> a day or so it won't start.  If it sits for about 12 hours
> it starts but only after about 20-30 seconds of turning
> over.  If it's only been sitting for an hour or so, it
> starts right up.
> 
> I can still use the run a wire from your solenoid right to
> the battery trick and it starts right up every time with
> that.  Bizarre!
> 
> As the bus is FI, I read somewhere that the FI system needs
> a minimum voltage (9.5 volts?) in order to start.  What I'm
> thinking is that the relay causes more drain on the battery
> than before which doesn't allow enough voltage to get to
> the FI system.  Does that make any sense at all?  The
> battery is kind of old, my next guess is to replace it.

My first course of action would be to *clean the battery connections*!

These are the first place that the current must get through to get to the rest
of the system, and the most neglected.  If the problem persists after the
terminals are clean and securely fastened, then get a new battery.  I've
*never* regretted getting a new battery, 'cause you usually need one anyway,
and then you can rule that out as a source of the problem.

Also, as far as starter relays are concerned, I had a starter problem recently
on my '72 Bug, and after replacing the starter *and* the ignition switch, I
discovered that the problem was dirty connectors in the wire from the ignition
switch and the starter solenoid!  I unplugged them in the course of tracing
where the current wasn't getting to the starter relay, and after checking both
points in the wire that had connectors, the damned thing worked fine! All I
probably would have had to have done was to have unplugged and plugged in both
connectors to clean the crap off the connections, but no - not me! I had to
replace a bunch of parts that were probably just fine! (But I now have the
peace of mind of having a new starter and ignition switch! Rationalize,
rationalize...)

Remember, the first 2 steps in troubleshooting any electrical system are:

1) Is it plugged in?
2) Is it turned on?

If it ain't plugged in, turning it on won't make it work, right? :-)

Peace,