[Vwdiesel] 81 Rabbit electrical woes

[Erik Lane]

Yep, if you put 12V to the bus bar then it should start right up.
You've either got bad connections between the bus bar and the glow
plugs, which I doubt with your symptoms of it failing so suddenly, or
the glow plugs are bad. (though I guess it's possible your jumper wire
is so tiny that it's not letting enough current through, but then it
should be getting pretty hot.)

It is possible to get the glow plugs out without moving the injection
pump - I've done it many times on many cars. But it takes a little
time and care to do it. You don't even have to remove the high
pressure fuel injection lines, although that makes it quite a bit
easier and these pumps will reprime the lines pretty easy so it
usually saves time to remove the lines.

One possible temporary fix is to use starting fluid, but ONLY DO THIS
WITH GLOW PLUGS DEAD/DISABLED. But as long as you make sure the glow
plugs are not coming on starting fluid will start it right up - just
like a gasser. I wouldn't want to do it all the time, just because of
the extra effort of spraying it in the intake. When I've seen it done
and did it myself the engine started right up and sounded great - no
early detonation or anything.

Good luck,
Erik

On Fri, Sep 19, 2008 at 9:20 AM, Rolf Pechukas <rbp at 4u2bu.org> wrote:
> hey gang
> I'm having all sorts of relay/fuse problems lately - it all seems to
> come down to a leak at the antenna which allowed water to get to the
> back of the fuse/relay panel
> several blown fuses, a short somewhere in the reverse light circuit...
> but most important:
> glow plug circuit is fritzing out
> just did a quick diagnostic
> current situation:
> I am not getting ANY GP action that I can discern at all, resulting in
> VERY hard early morning starts
> IF I wait more than a couple hours during the day, gets hard to start
> also
>
> with the entire GP relay bypassed, I am putting direct 12v to the bar
> reading +13v at all 4 plugs
> did this today early AM for 30 sec and still absolutely no effect
> very hard start (i.e. 90 sec cranking - BAD for starter, etc
> normally chick-vroom)
> so how is it that ALL 4 GPs failed simultaneously?!
> I am guessing that the rain to the fuse box somehow screwed up the
> relay so that GP circuit stayed open continuously and all 4 burned out
> sound likely?
> can't account for it any other way
> shouldn't putting 12v to the bus fire up those plugs?
> but no dice!
>
> anyway, I clearly need to replace the panel
> in the meantime, I have new GPs + relay on their way
> I am planning to bypass the box anyway and put a manual switch on the
> dash - I prefer this anyway
> but any thoughts on this situation?
>
> looks like I need to remove IP to replace GPs
> true?
> good idea to do a timing belt at the same time?
> any feedback appreciated
>
> thanks!
>
> Rolf in MA
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