[Vwdiesel] heat tape

[Harmon Seaver]

On Thu, Feb 27, 2003 at 02:31:09AM -0500, LBaird119 at aol.com wrote:
>
> Weak battery:  It doesn't take much there either.  If it's not a group 41 or
> higher amperage it's not likely to start.  (Group 42 fits right in but has
> about 200 less CCA.)  If the battery isn't up to snuff, the engine will
> crank over too slowly to start, until the battery's dead.  They just don't
> warm up that much from cranking!
>   Bigger battery cables!  With the longer length most vans have, huge
> cables should be nearly a must for good starting.  My 5000's engine is
> weak and would hardly start.  It has low compression, a sticking injector
> or two and likely a glow plug or two out.  I still managed to start it the
> other
> week, on a warm day.  I'd put a BIG jumper ground from the body mount
> to the engine.  Started better than before on a 90F + day!  Seriously!  In
> fact it wouldn't start below about 80F before.  Yeah, yeah, it's on the list
> for paint and an overhaul.
>      Loren

    And you can have a great battery and big cables and have a starter with bad
bushing or bad brushes/dirty or worn commutator, etc and it sucks up all the
juice without really cranking the engine. Just because a starter turns the
engine over doesn't mean it's not a bad starter.


--
Harmon Seaver
CyberShamanix
http://www.cybershamanix.com