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Date:         Fri, 30 Oct 1998 08:54:12 -0600
Reply-To:     Blue Eyes <lvlearn@MCI2000.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Blue Eyes <lvlearn@MCI2000.COM>
Organization: Vexation Computer
Subject:      Re: Starter click, no cranking
Comments: To: vanagon@VANAGON.COM
Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

Johan

If I were putting odds on this, I'd put 85% on the solenoid, and 15% on the wiring (usually connections at solenoid or starter), returning ground to the battery connections, and starter (when the bearing finally lets the largest diameter part touch the stationary field plates the friction is high but the noise is low, but that's not likely since it came on so fast).

The solenoid is a little heavy duty electrically powered plunger with a larger electric switch capable of handling a lot more current than would be elegant for car designers to mount on you dashboard or steering column. The heavy duty contacts are your PRIME suspect. The take a hell of a beating from all that making and breaking of high current demands that occur at the beginning and release of your starter switch which calls to the solenoid to 1st make and 2nd break contact. Both events cause sparking and microscopic metal removal of the contact on each side. I hope you have the picture.

Ok, while I haven't been into a VW solenoid, the principals are almost universal. On many old General Motors solenoids, they had a stationary contact for one connector, and a rotating disk on the other. This disk would eventually get looking like the surface of the moon and some junk would form on there so it had non-conductive spots. Successive attempts engaged different points along the disk, so you had lots of warning that it was time for corrective action. We used to take it apart and flip the disk because the other side was brand new. Then we'd "dress down" the other contact with a file anything other than sandpaper.

DON'T USE SANDPAPER TO DRESS HIGH CURRENT ELECTRICAL POINTS. We can't see the particulates sandpaper leaves behind, but these contaminants severely shorten the service life of high current contact sets. While the studies that covered this topic haven't been popular since 40 to 60 years ago, their validity is unaltered. Us a file or "burnishing tool" which do not leave these contact life shortening contaminants.

All the best to you, John


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