[V8] no start

[Buchholz, Steven]

... clearly you may expect some arcing if you jump the solenoid contacts ... but that is not the only way to test ... and frankly, I've never found it necessary, or useful to do that test.  Jumping the solenoid would not engage the Bendix gear.

As cars get older the engine compartment heat makes contact resistance ... and even the resistance per foot of the wires themselves increase.  The voltage drop on the ignition switch start contacts can go up as well.  VW has a TSB to add a "load reduction relay" in the start circuit if the voltage at the starter solenoid is less than 9.5 volts when the key is in the start position.  

What I recommended was to jump the +12v line directly to the starter solenoid contact that the switch activates.  This has gotten me moving on the road in more than one Audi.  Other than making sure the transmission is in neutral no other precautions need to be taken.  

What does it mean if the engine cranks using this method?  I know that I've talked about installing the load reduction relay ... but I've always resolved the issue by replacing the starter ...

Steve B
San José, CA (USA)
> 
> You can short those posts out - but I would not. The circuit you will be
> completing will be several hundred amps - and it will make a big shower of
> sparks. There is no good reason to risk losing an eye or starting a fire.
> If you were stuck in the middle of nowhere and needed to try something, this
> trick might get you home but it really is not safe.