[Vwdiesel] starter issue in Diesel Vanagon

[lbaird119 at aol.com]

OK, take the starter out, it is about a 10 year old reman. Bosch and look brand 
ew.  I take it to a starter place for diagnosis.  They say, your solenoid is 
eak and needs replaced, $65 later, I put the starter back in the van tonight.

AME thing, same sound, same issue.

 test battery with battery load tester, it is good.  Direct wire from the 
olenoid to the battery + to by-pass the key wire to be sure, same solid clunk 
nd big spark, meaning big resistance from the starter.

hat do I do next?

ake it back out and try to run it on the work bench?  Is there anything in the 
ell housing to could be an isse.
hese vanagon starters do not have a shaft to has to go into a hole or anything, 
hey are pretty much self contained.



  Well yeah it'll still clunk.  The solenoid wasn't bad.  I could tell that from here!  :-)  (Unless the contact was bad, which you check by jumping the two, large terminals together.)  Starter isn't turning.  Either your engine is frozen, the starter motor is frozen.  Could be a REALLY worn bushing in the starter, which you should've heard for a while, a winding or brush is toast, which should be black, stinky or obviously no brush left.  Sounds kind of like the Onan in an Orchard Ape that was run out of oil.  Clunk, and nothing else.  Engine was siezed but they had to spend half a day puling plugs, jumping, etc (probably damaging the starter) to see that I was right.  Hope not in your case but sure sounds plausible.
    Loren