Date: Mon, 24 Jun 2002 22:59:15 +0200
Reply-To: Robert Steven Fish <fish@SALZBURG.CO.AT>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Robert Steven Fish <fish@SALZBURG.CO.AT>
Subject: Re: FW: URGENT: Stranded in Remote Area...
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
I too had the same exact thing going on with my 1987 Vanagon. I "dealt"
with it for a good year though (to cheap and lazy to diagnose it). The
thing that was so odd, was that it really was 100% random in occurance.
There was no way for me to pin down when it would happen. I could drive 3
hours, stop for gas, and it would not start... or then drive the next 3
hours, stop for gas, and it would start right up (with a few seconds of
pause between key turn and cranking though).
That pause, between key turn, and eventual (hopefully, when it would
actually start, that is) turning over, was also variable. I thought I had
found the "workaround" at one point, by simpy keeping the key turned for
like... what seemed to be a few minutes. It would really just sit there, no
reaction at all... and then after a long time of the key being held "on" it
would turn over.
Other times, I would crawl back and open the engine compartment, and try
hitting various things, including the starter. I really impressed my wife
when it worked.... although there were many times when I could hit things
for 20 minutes and no start would happen.
Somehow though, I always managed to get it started by either waiting,
hitting, holding the key on, or whatever.
I got a new starter last year (a rebuilt) and have no more hesitation when I
turn the key, and it starts up beautifully every time!
I know that it is not advised... but I have also push started my Vanagon, as
well as all other standard cars I have owned, and that too is always an
option when starting problems arise due to battery, starter, or whatever.
Crazy stuff.
<º)))>{ <º)))>{ <º)))>{ <º)))>{ <º)))>{ <º)))>{
Robert S. Fish
Salzburg, Austria
1987 Wolfsburg Vanagon 2.1 GL Weekender
1987 Golf Cabriolet
1991 Golf
----- Original Message -----
From: "Timothy Crooks" <eungkeupsil@COMCAST.NET>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Monday, June 24, 2002 5:12 PM
Subject: Re: FW: URGENT: Stranded in Remote Area...
> I have had the same problem, was stranded in the desolate part of Eastern
> Pennsylvania and was at the mercy of a local shop that put in a new
starter,
> broke the old one taking it out so I was denied the core exchange. The
bus
> ran fine for about 2 moths, than it happened again near Neptune, NJ. I
had
> it towed, the shop there disconnected one to the leads from the starter
and
> it worked for a week, I had it replaced again. This one lasted about 9
> months, then, (in PA again), it happened at a fuel stop. The bus was
fully
> laden, so I had to unpack it to get to the starter (this always happened
on
> trips it seems), tried the hit-the-solenoid method. It worked. This
time,
> I went to the a local shop here in South Jersey and they replaced it with
a
> Bosch starter, that had a warranty. So far okay. I noticed with each
> failure there was a subtle warning sign. It seemed there was a bit of a
> conduction delay when I turned the key before the started engaged. Very
> brief. Each time this happened, the starter would fail within a week.
>
> One should note, the first time this happened was in October, going from
> Cleveland to South Jersey, I broke down around Bloomsburg PA, although the
> engine was hot, the weather was not. The next two time were in November
and
> December. The last time was in July, same trip as the first, within 20
> miles of the first in Nescopeck, PA. Of course each time this happens it
is
> on a Sunday and I am with my wife and 5 kids!!!
>
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