Date:         Sat, 04 Nov 1995 17:22:14 -0500
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         hseaver@csd.uwm.edu (Harmon Seaver)
Subject:      Starting Fix! 

    I just found a neat fix for my hard-starting '73 (w/'81 2.0L engine)
which wasn't getting enough juice to the coil when cranking. It would 
never fire until you let OFF the key. I finally gave up looking for the
problem (maybe the ignition switch is defective, but that's a bear to 
replace, and I'm not at all sure that's it) and decided to improvise. Or
rather, my son showed me that if you hooked up a jumper from the battery
to the coil, it started instantly. He suggested adding another switch
on the dash to feed juice straight from the battery to the coil only
during cranking. I figured that it would be more elegant to have a relay
do the job, and bought a horn relay for that -- but it didn't really work
since it (a) didn't seem to carry enough current, and (b) then seemed to
stick on afterwards. I was trying to tap into the starter solenoid, so
that the relay would only be energized during cranking. Then I discovered
that there are two unused terminals on the solenoid -- one right next to
the terminal for the wire from the ignition switch, which provides juice
during cranking, but then becomes a ground afterwards, so you don't
want that one -- but the other one is lower, below the big solenoid-to-
starter terminal, and only gets hot during cranking, and then disconnects
cleanly. 
   So, I hooked a wire from that terminal to my coil. Presto -- it now
pops off instantly. 
   I've looked in my Bentley -- no mention of it, and it doesnt' show up
in the wiring diagrams. Anybody got any idea what it's for?


-- 
Harmon Seaver 
hseaver@csd.uwm.edu
hseaver@nyx.cs.du.edu
seaverh@vaxa.cis.uwosh.edu
harmon@buffett.engr.wisc.edu

All is impermanent -- and this too shall pass away.