[Vwdiesel] '93 EV DSL - more bizarre goings-on

[Chris Geiser]

Rolf,

I'd double check that when you reinstalled the starter back a few months
ago, that you didn't leave the line from positive battery to the starter in
a position where it could rotate over slightly and contact the other starter
terminal. That could have run the starter motor on its own while you were
driving, given you the grinding sound, and created enough current pull on
the alternator to squalk that belt... RPM indicator runs off the alternator
also, right?

That's my guess - either that or a wire over that terminal shorted through
connecting positive to starter and bypassing the solenoid.

Briefly reconnect your battery to see if the starter motor is still engaged
and if so, move your positive connection to the starter slightly and see if
that stops the problems...

Chris



-- rOLf peCHUkas <rbp at 4u2bu.org> wrote:

> so a couple of days ago on startup I heard very
> clattery 
> trashcan/lawnmower type sounds
> shut down immediately
> decided to gamble, tried again - normal startup and
> running sounds
> shrugged it off, made a mental note to email the
> group, headed down the 
> road
> 
> next time I heard this was that same day while
> driving (@ 20 MPH) - 
> heard belt squealing, RPM indicator dropped (but
> just the instrument - 
> engine stayed running at same speed), heard clattery
> sounds again - 
> alternator? water pump? maybe gnashing sounds were
> water pump starting 
> to fail and alternator was getting bogged down
> running off that same 
> pulley?
> 
> also had an incident of runaway engine in this same
> period - shut down 
> engine, but engine kept clattering away for maybe 20
> sec - actually got 
> out, was about to pull the fuel shutoff when engine
> quit
> 
> all of this leading up to today:
> morning drive @ 10 miles, shut down, took my son
> biking
> got a call @ 15 mins into the ride (from my son's
> mom) - my car's 
> trying to drive itself
> apparently the starter was somehow getting juice
> (key was in ignition 
> but ignition off) and vehicle was lurching forward
> had her take it out of gear and disconnect the fuel
> shutoff, turned 
> around and headed back
> in the time it took me to get back, engine
> apparently started itself, 
> made " a whole bunch of different noises I wouldn't
> even know how to 
> begin to describe", and shut itself down again, but
> still mysterious 
> "running" sounds from the engine bay
> 
> when I got back to the vehicle, starter was still
> turning over 
> continuously, smoking (!), but solenoid wasn't
> engaging anymore
> obviously a burnt out starter, for starters
> I disconnected the main battery cable, which finally
> killed the beast
> 
> let it cool down briefly
> 
> reconnected battery cable - starter still
> occasionally trying to kick 
> on (key not even in the ignition at this point)
> 
> turned key to try to start up
> starter turned, but solenoid not engaging
> 
> I did recently rebuild starter, packing all bearings
> w/ grease
> so maybe there's some hope starter is not entirely
> toast
> 
> 
> so: what is this:
> faulty starter relay?
> I did just replace the ignition switch a couple
> months ago, so unless 
> that switch was defective, that's not the problem
> 
> any relation between the starter, the (water pump?)
> and the alternator 
> symptoms ??
> 
> let me ask you this: could a water pump be
> intermittently noisy - i.e. 
> gnashing one moment and normal the next?
> I thought their failure was more continuous...
> 
> could an alternator be making gnashing sounds?
> 
> or maybe it was the starter relay trying putting
> juice to the starter 
> in the middle of a drive that gave me the gnashing
> sounds/runaway 
> symptoms?
> 
> 
> 
> gonna get this baby towed home, remove the starter,
> see what it looks 
> like, try to find starter relay (any hints much
> appreciated), maybe 
> bypass it, see if I can sort any of this out
> 
> any bits and pieces of experience, guesswork welcome
> 
> 
> thanks
> 
> Rolf
> Bewildered Again, Cape Cod, MA
> 
> 
> Rolf
> Cambridge, MA
> 
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> 


David Cook
Red '86 Cabriolet Diesel Powered
Red '90 g60 Corrado 
Brown and White '78 Westy Campmobile "Bear"
and others in various states of disrepair
Pictures here: community.webshots.com/user/superdave5599

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