[Vwdiesel] OT: starter solenoid 94 Pathfinder question

[Smith, Michael]

I just can't understand why a little bit of heat from my heat gun and it'll
fire right up.  Surely not a mechanically jammed part, corroded contact
etc.(??)
Someone at work suggested that perhaps somehow some moisture (water) got in
there and froze, thus hitting it and cranking on it won't do it any good,
whilst the heat gun will melt the water long enough to allow the
contacts/springs/whatever to move.  If I let it sit 4 or 5 hours, it
"freezes" up again.

Again, speculative, but makes me wonder if I shouldn't just put the heat gun
or something under it for a couple hours and dry it out ?? (while truck
outside)

My solenoid switch sits right on top of the starter, so I geuss it's
possible I'm heating the starter and not just the switch.  Like I said, it's
extremely hard to get to from above....down about 4" under the manifold at
the bottom of the engine.  From below I think it's slightly easier, if you
had it on a hoist.  Not sure about jacking it up somehow and getting
underneath.

My other option is that whenever I get the Golf heater fixed, I can pull the
Pathfinder inside (miniscule heated garage) and let it thaw out a day or so,
though I'm not convinced that just being in a 15*C-16*C (59*F-58*F)
enviroment will allow the water (if that's what it is) to evaporate.  The RH
in my basement/garage is about 60% these days.

I am pretty much out of $$ so my options are severly limited right now.

Thanks for indulging me on this everyone....I know it's not a diesel...and I
do appreciate ANY ideas you fellas might have.  Honestly.
I learn more from you guys in a day then I do staring at a manual or asking
the guys @ work questions in a whole week.

Mike in NB

> -----Original Message-----
> From:	vwdiesel-bounces at vwfans.com [SMTP:vwdiesel-bounces at vwfans.com] On
> Behalf Of LBaird119 at aol.com
> Sent:	Wednesday, January 26, 2005 12:32 PM
> To:	vwdiesel at vwfans.com
> Subject:	Re: [Vwdiesel] OT: starter solenoid 94 Pathfinder question
> 
>   If it's anything like the one on my wife's Caravan, there are
> replaceable 
> contacts.  Is the solenoid part of the starter I presume?  Problem is, the
> 
> contact set is ridiculously priced (relativel to a starter or solenoid)
> and 
> doesn't seem to be a long term fix.  I put a set in mine and it got me 
> about a year or so.  Started acting up again and the contacts were good 
> so I cleaned things up.  Fine for a few days.  Cleaned and checked more 
> things.  Fine for a couple days.  Pulled and inspected, couldn't find a 
> THING wrong.  Finally gave in and  replaced the whole thing since a 
> solenoid is 60% of the price of a whole unit.  Been fine since.  :-P
>   Oh, unlike a Chevy solenoid, contacts are each a different shape and 
> vary from starter to starter so they're not all that universal.  :-(
>      Loren
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