[urq] No stater motor functioning... need help!

[Mark R]

Especially with the older VAG cars (pre-early-1990s-ish), the primary wiring
was pretty poor.  By primary wiring, I mean the battery to starter to
alternator and major grounds.  One of my first suggested upgrades is to
replace or parallel the existing primary wiring.  The wire used was fairly
poor quality and over time, moisture wicks into the sheath and corrodes it
internally.  I've cut battery to starter wires apart only to find severe
corrosion well into the sheath.  Every try flexing the old VAG wiring?  It's
SUPER stiff and far from a modern ropelay construction.  I'd suggest that
6ga. is minimal when new (especially considering it's construction) and I
usually replace with 2 ga.  (sometimes 4).

VW recalled several years of 16V powered cars to replace the wiring from the
battery to starter (maybe to alternator, too).

Good luck,
Mark Rosenkrantz

On Thu, Jul 24, 2008 at 4:20 PM, Ben Swann <benswann at verizon.net> wrote:

> Justin,
>
> I was contiually having issues with poor starting current on my '83.  If
> you look at the
> wiring layout, you'll find that there is but a single positive wire aroung
> 6 guage that
> is really inadequate for the job.  Over time, any degrading of connections
> - pos. or
> ground or "weak" battery will result in slow/no truing over.  This will
> hasten the
> demise of the starter, too.
>
> I ran a dedicated positive 6 guage wire from battery positive directly to
> the starter
> post.  Routed across under seat and up passenger side and through firewall.
>  Area near
> exhaust manifold/turbo area was given extra protection.  Actually the rout
> taken goes to
> a jumper post I installed on the firewall near location of where the
> battery would be on
> 4000 quattro and then branch positive underhood electricals from there, but
> I disgress.
> The wire back to the battery may even be a #4, but with at least two (2) #6
> wires going
> to starter and then to alternator, there is plenty of copper to run starter
> current
> through.
>
> Of course, having a new fresh battery helps, and I have had a few older
> batteries that
> were fine in other cars would not cut it in the UrQ.
> You have some work cut out for you, but really this is the way it should
> have been done
> at the factory.  If you install the jumper post, you will find it easier to
> charge/jumpstart the car as well as run new electricals, such as the EFI
> system you may
> eventually install.
>
> HTH.
>
> Ben
>
> [Date: Wed, 23 Jul 2008 16:57:46 -0400
> From: "Justin Rettaliata" <jretal at gmail.com>
> Subject: [urq] No stater motor functioning... need help!
> To: urq at audifans.com
> Message-ID:
>        <dfc6dd30807231357x10dca2c3rcf9a94caf28f4824 at mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
>
> Ok ladies and gents here's the issue.
>
> Our '83 UrQ was running fine and dandy after we bought it, and 2 days later
> the starter
> motor wouldn't kick over.
>
> Everything else fires up when I turn the key, but when I go to start the
> car the lights
> dim a little bit (like there's a load on the system) and nothing happens.
> No clicks no
> nothing. The PO had installed a 2nd starter button to bypass the ignition
> switch as well
> since he was having issues w/ the ignition switches failing, but
> unfortunately pushing
> this button results with the same non-start issue and the same dimming of
> lights as if
> there's a load on teh system.
>
> My dad pulled the starter motor last night and tested it and it worked
> fine.
> I had tested power to the starter and grounding and it was fine. I also
> tested to see if
> it got 12v to the trigger wire and (iirc) it was getting 9-10v. My dad is
> going to
> reconfirm these #s tonight. That seemed too low to me personally, but I'm
> not sure what
> to think at the moment.
>
> Also, all grounds to the battery have been cleaned.
>
> Question I have is... where else should I be looking for an issue?
>
> Are there relays I should be looking for/finding to test if they're
> working?
> Need the car to be operational for another 6-8 months as we're not ready to
> start
> tearing it down yet. Also my mom wants it out of the garage as she doesn't
> like it that
> her car is now sitting outside :-P
>
> Any advice is MUCH appreciated!!!
> -Justin]
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