Date: Wed, 11 Oct 1995 09:46:32 -0700 (PDT)
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: "A Brandon Smith" <brandys@ichips.intel.com>
Subject: engine/starter problem, advice sought:)
ok, here's what happened. after fixing my oil leak (yeah) i drove
home from work. on the highway i felt the engine seem to hesitate or
sudenly lose power in a way that made the whole bus seem like it was
tugged at from behind for a second while driving. this happened a few
times. then there was an accident, i wasn't involved, but while
sitting and waiting for the traffic to clear the bus stalled, and i
couldn't get it to start again. here's what i did after pulling the
bus over to the side.
1) headlights were working nice and bright.
2) tried to start the engine, would not catch, turned over a few times
but never caught.
3) checked connections on battery, starter and solenoid. banged on
solenoid.
4) placed a screwdriver so as to connect the battery to the starter
(as per muir) to check the starter. got a shower of sparks and
think i heard the motor in the starter spin (the sparks scared me).
IS THE SHOWER OF SPARKS NORMAL? i figured that the book would
warn about that. oh well.
cute story happens around this time, see below if you care:)
5) so i tried occasionally to start it. till it got to the point where
it would barely turn over, and then nothing more than the oil and
gen lights would dim. i tried a jump for the heck of it, but the
lights were bright but no start.
about this time the police decided i was a saftey hazard and forced me
to move by nicely calling me a tow truck without asking and explain to
me i have no choice but to be towed off the highway. you know there
is an extra charge if the police call for the tow instead of you! how
nice. oh well.
ANYWAY, this morning i get in and STARTS it right up. (i figured it
would:)
QUESTIONS:
is the flywheel stuck? i don't think so since the fan/alternator
belt was spinninng when i tried to turn it over.
i plan on:
1) getting a new battery (i left the lights on all day and the battery
was i little sorry before that)
2) maintenance things. new plugs and adjust the points. (what the
heck, i have a tach-dwell meter now, might as well:) try and adjust
the carb and such.
3) check/clean the wires on the starter, solenoid and battery. IS it
possible that the solenoid is not getting enough juice from the
ignition switch. what is the best way to clean the wires on the
solenoid and starter, they are a little dirty.
4) check the ignition switch.
any other recomendations? ideas? i'd appreciate anything, and let me
say thanks for at least reading this entire message.
STORY PART:
i felt i would be safe working on the bus seeing as how there
were flares and flashing police cars all over the place cleaning up
from the last accident. however i hear a screeching of tires and hear
them slidding on wet pavement, look to my left and from my lovely
vantage point under the bus i see two care collide not ten feet away.
then watch one of them moving twords me. i told that car to stop (in
a lovely loud voice) and it did about 6 inches away from the bus.
thank you my gardian angel:)
take care everyone,
brandy
--
\ / A. Brandy Smith (brandys@ichips.intel.com)
\ / (503)264-4239 Pole:JF1-E18
\ X / Intel Corp MD6 networks
\ / \ / ****************************************
\/ \/ ***"EVERYTHING IS BETTER IN THE BUS!"***
1973 CAMPER ****************************************