[Vwdiesel] *HELP! - 93EV electrical ignition fire*

[Roger Brown]

Rolf Pechukas wrote:
> hey all
> electricals are my weak point and I don't know what's going on here:
> 
> 93 EuroVan diesel;
> lately when I try to start up I get an intermittent fault:
> instead of starter turning over, I get click-click-clicking of  
> battery light on dash and one of the wires from the ignition switch  
> to the relay box starts to smoke and the insulation starts to melt (!)
> what's going on?
> an intermittent short, I assume
> no fire yet, and it doesn't always happen
> but this is dangerous, not to mention inconvenient
> 
> how do I track this down?
> 
> thanks for any hints

My '82 pickup did that a few times and I tracked it down to worn out brushes in the 
starter motor.  Swapped in another starter and if would fire right up.  Opened up the old 
one and the brushes were worn down to nothing. It had been cranking slower and slower in 
the weeks/months prior to this.

-- 
    Roger