Date: Thu, 13 Aug 1998 12:43:58 PDT
Reply-To: Sean Bartnik <bartnik@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <Vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: Sean Bartnik <bartnik@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Bad alternator? Possibly related to hard starting...
Content-Type: text/plain
Hey all,
I learned some things today that may help explain my hard starting when
cold problem.
Due to detective work I was trying to do on my '81 2.0 air-cooled
Vanagon (trying to track down a rotational noise on the right side) I
had made a couple engine starts with shutoffs soon after. Then I drove
to the FLAPS for some parts for the Karmann Ghia. The engine started
fine during all these instances. When I was on the way home, I turned
onto my street (which is a cul-de-sac) and as I was headed to the
turn-around I shut off the engine to better hear the noise. Well I was
able to better hear the noise but that's another post :-)
The cul-de-sac goes slightly downhill, with the bottom of the hill being
the turn-around area. So naturally I coasted down into this area and
stopped, listening closely to this noise. When I stopped and tried to
restart the van, I had a problem. The starter was turning the engine
over very slowly and the engine would not start. I thought perhaps my
starter motor was going bad. After a few tries and realizing that it's
just my luck that this happened at the BOTTOM of a hill (D'OH!), I got
out, walked up the street to my house, got my mom's Dodge Neon, drove it
down to where my van was stalled, and decided to try to jump start it.
Well the jump start was quite successful. In fact, the engine cranked
over quicker than it ever has since I've had it and it started
immediately. Hmmm, said I, I think perhaps my battery is on its way
out.
I figured that if my battery was dying that would certainly explain the
hard starting when cold problem I am experiencing.
So I drove the van home, and parked it facing downhill (just in case!).
Then I did some work on the Ghia and came back to the van just now. I
took my voltmeter and checked out the battery. I got 12.2 or so volts,
which I know is not fully charged, but it was pretty close. I wanted to
check what the voltage dropped to when I turned the key to start. So I
did that, fully expecting the engine not to start. However, it turned
well and started right up, and voltage went down to 10.45 while it was
cranking.
But here's the suspicious part: With the engine running at idle, I only
measure 12.89 volts at the battery when I fully expect to see 13.8-14
volts! This voltage did not rise to 13 volts no matter how high I
revved the engine. So I wonder if I should blame my alternator or
voltage regulator. It certainly seems to me that the battery is being
undercharged at the very least and is suffering as a result, especially
in the morning when cold (desperately hoping this is related to my hard
starting problem!).
Compared to having my battery hooked up to that Neon's battery, my van
has been cranking pretty slowly lately. I think perhaps the battery is
not delivering the current necessary for quick starting, and we know
that cooler temperatures adversely affect the efficiency of automotive
batteries. I don't know, however, if this is a problem due to the
battery or if it's the fault of my alternator/voltage regulator.
Any ideas???
Thanks in advance!
Sean Bartnik
Fairfax, Virginia
============================
'81 Vanagon L Westfalia
'74 Karmann Ghia convertible
http://www.type2.com/bartnik/tech.htm
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