Date:         Wed, 11 Oct 95 20:19:17 -0700
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Steve Hoge <steveh@pauli.emu.com>
Subject:      Re: engine/starter problem, advice sought:)

Sorry, you don't say what year your bus is, or the mileage, but...


> 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.
> 

I had a problem with my '77 (140K miles) that was like you describe, except it
didn't start up the next day.  Turned over great, wouldn't catch.  I fixed it
with a new coil (the old one was shorted.)

While you're doing your plugs and points you might want to add the following
fairly cheap parts:

1) New dist. cap and rotor
2) New plug wires
3) New battery terminal clamps

I had a no start/no crank/no charging problem that was fixed with new battery
clamps (old ones totally corroded).  I also had an intermittent cut-out problem
like you describe that went away when I put new plug wires on.  A new
distributor cap and rotor (I was appalled at the burned stuff inside when I
opened it up) completely cured a rough-running problem that had been sneaking
up on me and getting worse for 3 or 4 thousand miles. So, FWIW...

Steve Hoge
'77 Type II   (Da Rust Bucket)
'89 Syncro GL (Da Stud Bucket)