[T3] It's Not Just The Horn...

[Jim Adney]

On 19 Oct 2014 at 22:42, J. Jonik wrote:

> 71 FI Std 
 
> Trying to start it today, it gave two short, feeble tries to turn
> over.    Outside of that, nothing...except hearing the fuel relays
> doing their normal noise click thing. Battery checks out attop of
> "good" range, and cables and terminals clean as whistles...even where
> ground is attached to body.  Gen and Oil lights didn't dim when trying
> to start. Then there was the radio static...as if something electronic
> was amiss.  Is that a clue? 

Adding what I think you've said in later messages, I believe you have 
a high resistance somewhere in your battery/starter circuit. It's 
possible that vibration from the high revving shook loose a 
connection that was already marginal. The problem could actually be 
IN the battery, since you haven't told us how you actually checked 
it. From your description later, I'm guessing that you've checked the 
electrolyte, but that doesn't check the battery's load capacity, 
which also depends on good internal connections.

My first impression was that radio static was irrelevant, but now I'm 
thinking that it was just another result of a bad connection 
somewhere, most likely in the battery ground or + connection.

When you're trying to run the starter, there are only a very few 
components involved: starter, battery, ignition switch, wiring 
(including ground wiring.) You've replaced the starter and that made 
no difference, so now you know that your starter was fine.

Start by checking the connections to the battery posts. The battery 
posts are tapered and people often don't get them seated all the way 
down on the posts. If the clamps are just sitting on the top of the 
posts, they are probably not actully tight against the post. Spread 
the clamps with a couple of screwdrivers until they will slide ALL 
the way down on the post, then tighten the clamps. DO NOT POUND them 
down on the post. That will break the seal between the post and the 
plastic top of the battery.

If one of your battery clamps has been replaced with one of those 
clamps that pinches onto the OE wire, take that apart and retighten 
it, or replace it. Those pinch-on clamps tend to fail in a year or 
so. There is NO better clamp than the OE one.

Loosen and retighten the pan end of the battery ground cable. You're 
just trying to break any corrosion that might be in there.

Loosen and retighten both ends of the ground strap that runs from the 
front end of the tranny to the pan. Clean off any corrosion you find 
there.

> Turned mounting screws on voltage regulator back and forth to assure
> good ground....but there's so much rust in that area I don't know if
> it's getting a good ground.  I could run a ground wire to some solid
> metal to get good ground (I assume).   But, is Volt Reg a suspect
> here?

The VR only does something once the engine is running. So if your 
battery is charged, the VR is not a suspect.

> Could that violent revving damage a Volt Reg?

No

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Jim Adney, jadney at vwtype3.org
Madison, Wisconsin, USA
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