[Vwdiesel] OT: starter solenoid 94 Pathfinder question

[Erik Lane]

I don't understand either why the heat would make a
difference. Usually if you freeze an electronic
component it will work better. I would guess also that
it is a chunk of ice blocking something or the
grease/lube on the arm or gear spindle is getting hard
with the cold weather.

If it's a block of ice I think what sounds best is a
combination of both - put it in the garage for a day
or so and then put the heat gun underneath it for a
few hours as well. Try to get it nice and hot down
there to dry it out. But I would think driving it
would get it pretty hot down there as well.

If it's sticky old grease then I don't know of a good
way to fix it except to take it apart and clean
everything well and reassemble with new grease.

Good luck!
Erik
--- "Smith, Michael" <Michael.Smith at rvh.nb.ca> wrote:

> 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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