Hi Chris,

I had a similar problem with my 90 Syncro = Westy.  The ECU and fuel injection get their power directly from = the alternator.  There are two red wires connecting directly to = the alternator.  The big one (gauge 6 or so) goes to the starter = and the battery.  The small one (gauge 12 or 10) connect to the = ECU and fuel injection via the relays.  There are no fuses or = circuit breakers (!!!) between the relays and the alternator.  My = problem was caused by the small wire not being crimped properly at the = alternator.  After ten year it had wiggled itself loose and caused = intermittent power loss of the ECU.  Check this connection and = make sure it's ok.  Then follow the cable and make sure there is = no power loss along the way.  This cable consists of two parts = that are connected in the wire distributor box on the front driver side = of the engine compartment (on the right side of the ECU relay = box).  Make sure this connection is ok as well.

Good luck,
Peter

-----Original Message-----
From: Chris Stinson [mailto:chstinson@earthlink.net]
Sent: Friday, June 23, 2000 11:20 AM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Today's PUZZLER... SLWR-VAN won't = start


OK folks, I'm stumped (again).

I have one of Darrell's digitools hooked up to the = ECU in a 1986
Vanagon GL "SLWR-VAN" that drove home fine = one evening and wouldn't
start the next morning.

The digitool says there isn't power from the ECU to = either the coil
or the fuel injection system when I turn the key in = the ignition.
Everything else is getting power.  When I try = to start ol' Solwer,
the starter clicks but doesn't do anything = else.  If I unbolt the
starter and try to start ol' Slower, the starter = whirrs.

The starter was sold to me as a new starter.  Do = the above symptoms
sound like the starter isn't working?  (But, if = the starter is
broken, how can a nonworking starter cause the ECU = to not send power
to the coil and the fuel injection system?)

I have...
- reinstalled the starter twice and checked the wire = connections to
the terminals on the solenoid
- checked the ignition switch (by hooking a new = switch up to the
wires going to the current ignition switch)
- checked the coil (by hooking up the coil wires to = a new coil)
- checked the ECU (by hooking up a new ECU under the = back seat)
- put in 2 new relays in the fuel injection black = box (on left side
of engine) and, actually, I even tried a second pair = here because
this was recently the problem in my other van = "SLOW-VAN"
- checked the park/neutral starting switch
- put a new terminal on the pair of red wires that = attach to the
alternator (and go towards the front of the van from = there) to
eliminate a section of those wires that was = fraying
- checked all of the fuses
- checked the sparkplug/coil wires for appropriate = resistance
- cleaned and retightened the grounds underneath the = battery, at the
fuel pump, at the front end of the transmission, and = on the left side
of the engine.
- cleaned and filed to shiny the distributor cap = contacts and the rotor
- the battery is holding its charge (and hooking up = the battery
cables to another 12V battery doesn't change = anything).

I haven't done all pairwise combinations of the above = list.  So, one
possibility is that two of the above are = simultaneously busted.

Thanks for any new suggestions!

Chris

1986 Vanagon GL, VA license = "SLOW-VAN"
1986 Vanagon GL, VA license = "SLWR-VAN"
1986 Vanagon GL, no license... a humble parts van = "Part-y Boy"