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

Bryon Garvin spinningrooves at gmail.com
Sat Feb 11 17:41:56 PST 2012


Ok.  Starter turned that time.  However I couldn't start the car.  I have
Jim's fuel pump primer.  I ran that for 30 seconds and tried a couple
times.  No luck.  Then it occurred to me that this method would not let the
starter ever stop until I took the
lead off the + battery post.  So, I turned the key as if I was starting it
put the cable to the post and let it turn.  When it sounded like it was
going to turn over on its own, I took the cable off the post and released
the key from "start" to "on".  But still no luck.  I didn't want to ruin
anything so I stopped and thought I'd ask what to do next?

- Bryon
On Feb 11, 2012 5:07 PM, "Dave Hall" <dave at hallvw.clara.co.uk> wrote:

> 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
> >> *******************************
> >>
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> VWType3.Org mailing list - type3 at vwtype3.org
> >> http://lists.vwtype3.org/listinfo.cgi/type3-vwtype3.org
> >> Contact gregm at vwtype3.org if you need help with the list.
> >>
> >
> >
> -------------- next part --------------
> An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
> URL:
> <
> http://lists.vwtype3.org/private.cgi/type3-vwtype3.org/attachments/20120211
> /3c0b9235/attachment.htm>
> _______________________________________________
> VWType3.Org mailing list - type3 at vwtype3.org
> http://lists.vwtype3.org/listinfo.cgi/type3-vwtype3.org
> Contact gregm at vwtype3.org if you need help with the list.
>
> _______________________________________________
> VWType3.Org mailing list - type3 at vwtype3.org
> http://lists.vwtype3.org/listinfo.cgi/type3-vwtype3.org
> Contact gregm at vwtype3.org if you need help with the list.
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.vwtype3.org/private.cgi/type3-vwtype3.org/attachments/20120211/2422bb6a/attachment.htm>



More information about the type3-vwtype3.org mailing list