[Vwdiesel] Diesel Jeep almost done! Just have some questions...

[Roger Brown]

Stephen Kraus wrote:
> I suspect that is not it, I am using the exact battery and it used to 
> start fine.

Don't make that assumption.  I ran into a similar problem after putting a new tranny in my 
'82 VW.  Starter was running slow and sometimes cutting out somewhat like you describe. 
Was the same battery and cables, etc. but I figured that battery may have been weak so put 
a new one in and the same problem.  Turned out when I repainted the tranny while the 
tranny was out, interfered with the ground connection that passes through that point.  I 
found that if I added a battery jumper cable between the battery "-" terminal and the 
engine block, and it fired right up.  So for a permanent fix, I added an extra ground 
cable to the block.  But if the voltage to the solenoid drops low enough it'll not have 
enough force to keep the gear extended against the internal spring.

So easy enough to measure the voltage at the solenoid (measured to the starter case) under 
load (i.e. while the starter is cranking over).  IF it is good, then that is not your 
problem, but if it drops too low (maybe 6-8 volts) the solenoid will nut stay pulled in.

> The gears actually have no wear, so I suspect its the solenoid. Is there 
> a way I could rebuild the start myself?


-- 

   Roger