[T3] no start -- but just drove it!

[Dave Hall]

That jumper wire will do the trick. You may find the connector under the
carpet near the seat is poor, or even detached - try to take a measurement
at the switch end of the wire (black/red thick one.  Look for 12V when you
turn the switch to start.  Hopefully it's just wiring not the switch.

Yes, the switch should send 12V to the starter.  It sends it to that
connector, which is not quite the bolt - there's a pull-in winding that gets
the motor truning and moves the gear to mesh with the flywheel before the
main contacts in the solenoid close.

Dave.
UK VW Type 3&4 Club
===================

-----Original Message-----
From: type3-vwtype3.org-bounces at lists.vwtype3.org
[mailto:type3-vwtype3.org-bounces at lists.vwtype3.org] On Behalf Of Bryon
Garvin
Sent: 12 February 2012 00:25
To: type3 at vwtype3.org
Subject: Re: [T3] no start -- but just drove it!

Did the quarter test this morning.  Starter turned.  That scared the bejezus
out of me even though I was ready for it.  Anyway, now I'd just like to be
extra sure about my test here.  I put a probe to the small wire
(disconnected now) at the starter and test for voltage as I turn the key to
start.  I get nothing.  That is supposed to have 12v correct?

So, assuming that wire is bad (or ignition switch).....I can now put a clip
lead on the lug where that wire went, touch the other end to the (+) battery
terminal, and the starter should spin.  Yes?  That's essentially the same
thing as using the quarter right?  I just want to confirm that everything is
still working before I proceed with tracking down the bad wire.

I guess the main question I'm asking is that the ignition switch is supposed
to send 12V to the starter, right?

Thanks,

 - Bryon

On Sat, Feb 11, 2012 at 11:46 AM, Bryon Garvin
<spinningrooves at gmail.com>wrote:

> Question:
>
> crawled under the car to do the starter check this morning.  I 
> accidentally let the small wire from the front of the car touch the 
> big wire/lug from the battery when I removed it.  I heard a noise up 
> above, kind of maybe where the battery is located?
>
> Did I mess anything up?  Something I should check to see if I blew a 
> fuse or anything?  I was taking care, but it just sprung toward the 
> lug when it slipped out of my hand.
>
> Thanks,
>
>  - Bryon, '71 Fastback
>
>
> On Sat, Feb 4, 2012 at 7:35 AM, Jim Adney <jadney at vwtype3.org> wrote:
>
>> On 3 Feb 2012 at 11:52, Bryon Garvin wrote:
>>
>> > Well, the car sat after this episode until today.  I finally have 
>> > the time and weather to deal with it.  One question though, if I 
>> > get under the car (not in gear! ) and try the "quarter procedure" 
>> > and the car *doesn't*start, I assume then that I have a starter 
>> > problem.  If that's the case, does the starter have to come off to do
further analysis?
>>
>> I would check a couple more things before pulling the starter. For 
>> these, you need a voltmeter or a test light. (A test light just 
>> checks for the presense or absense of voltage: the light is on or off 
>> (or dim.)
>>
>> Gearshift in NEUTRAL!
>>
>> NOTE: Any time you put a wrench to a nut that has + battery voltage 
>> on it, you must remove the battery ground strap first!
>>
>> Get a friend to help with the key. Crawl under the car and find a 
>> clean place to clip your ground lead. Check that this is good by 
>> touching the other lead to the large cable from the battery.
>>
>> Have the friend turn the key to START, while you put your probe on 
>> the lug on the solenoid where the ignition switch wire comes from the 
>> front. You should see voltage there when the key is turned to START.
>>
>> Put your probe on the LUG on the end of the large main cable from the 
>> battery. You should see voltage there even when the key is turned to 
>> START. If not, R/R both battery post connections. Check again. If it 
>> still isn't good, your battery may be the problem.
>>
>> Put the probe on the end of the STUD the large lug above connects to.
>> There should be voltage there even when the key is turned to START.
>> If not, loosen and retighten the nut on that stud. Add some grease 
>> there to keep out moisture.
>>
>> If all these things check out okay, remove the battery ground strap 
>> and then the starter. It's probably the starter brushes. Most of the 
>> time they just need to be freed up where they slip in their guides, 
>> but eventually they need to be replaced. There are special brushes 
>> for the Bosch starter motors with alum field windings. I don't think 
>> you'll find them anywhere else, but I think I still have some.
>>
>> The special brushes don't come with copper pigtails attached. They 
>> come with a hole in the brush that is metalized. You crush the old 
>> brush with a pair of pliers and insert the end of the old pigtail in 
>> the hole and solder it in.
>>
>> You CAN use normal brushes with pigtails, but you have to use a 
>> solder and flux that will work with alum. Normal flux will not work.
>>
>> --
>> *******************************
>> Jim Adney, jadney at vwtype3.org
>> Madison, Wisconsin, USA
>> *******************************
>>
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>
>
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