[urq] RE : Intermittent no start - pretty sure I have the fix

[urquattro at comcast.net]

I hung the relay on the back side of the bumper just above the alternator and made a little "relay cozy" out of aluminum sheeting to shelter it from moisture. There are probably more clever spots, but this was the easiest . Yes this is a cheap one to impliment at less than $20 and I bet it fixes the problem. This will net the same effect as jumping the solenoid like Jim mentioned

Just in case anyone is unclear on the relay thing, Huw's headlight relay page is a great primer on relaying -anything- and can be follwed (using only one circuit-duh) for this exercise:

http://www.humanspeakers.com/audi/headlight-simple.htm

If you have it hooked up right, the car should start with the fuse in, and with the fuse out, you should just hear the relay click when you crank the ignition switch.

As far as being embarrassed you're having a problem with an '80's era Audi...uhh...I've had so many embarrassing incidents (why do your neighbors -always- drive by when you're stranded with a dead car?) that I just don't care anymore :-)

Good Luck!
> 
> > Solution? (Need I say it?) RELAY THE SOLENOID. I relayed mine
> headlight-
> > style off the alternator using 12-gauge power wire, 30-amp NO relay,
> 20-
> > amp inline fuse, and the original power wire as the signal. Has worked
> > like a dream ever since. Incidentally, I needlessly spent $130 on a
> > rebuilt starter before I figured out what what really causing the
> problem.
> 
> *****OK good idea, and cheap to implement. Where did you put the relay ?
> 
> 
> 
> > As an immediate solution, opening the hood for about 30 seconds after
> you
> > stop when you know it's going to be a short one will allow a LOT of
> the
> > lower engine bay heat to dissipate through convection and keep the
> > solenoid from just sitting there and cooking (as much). > 

*****Yeah, I though of this, but I don't want to have people say "These
> Audis, they have always problems... :_) 
> 
>