She's dead!

[91T breezen']

Well my weird intermittent non-starting issue, finally reached it's conclusuion today. She wouldn't start at all.:icon_mad: Just clicking, and all the lights and gauges doing their thing. For awhile before this, I'd turn the key, and there'd be a long delay before it fired up.:icon_conf I don't have any neutral start safety, car is an auto/5-speed swap. I'm a total bonehead when it comes to diagnosing electrical problems.:1zhelp: Where should I start the trouble-shooting from? Took out the battery, put it in my truck, and it started right up. So at least I've eliminated one possibility!:icon_razz

 

[johnathan1]

Check your codes first.

 

[boost fiend]

check the wiring to the starter and maybe think about by passing the security while your at it. just a shot.

on another note, mine did somthing simmialr to this once. all interior lights went dead though. one of the power wires by the battery came apart. starter still worked (hidden starter switch, he he he!!) just long cranks.

 

[Shytheed Dumas]

Sounds like the problem I had with my starter when I first bought the car. Might take 10 or 20 trys, and then it would finally start. Problem was starter contacts - cheap fix.

 

[kwnate]

starter relay noob.

 

[hottscennessey]

bad ground I'd say. But it could very easily be any of the above.

 

[pimptrizkit]

starter contacts..

the nipen denso style starters, have contacts that will start to arc and cause them to have problems starting.. i found that beating on the starter usualy helps, some times you will need some one to crank while you beat.

worse case, replace the starter, and completly rule it out of the equation.

 

[tekdeus]

I just fixed my problem with a new starter relay ciruit. I made a post about it with wiring diargram.

 

[koulee]

My bet is the cps. unplug it and plug it back in.

 

[miggles]

battery. I had same symptoms and got a new one, problem solved.

 

[rumptis]

first thing that came to mind was a Bad Ground as well.

 

[s383mmber1]

I know you already checked the battery, but when i installed my HKS controller and went to starts my lights worked, windsheild wipers, everything worked, radio, ect.

But it wouldn't start.

Charged the battery for the hell of it and BAM

Started right up.

 

[MKIIINA]

starter contacts. same thing happened to my car and my bros when the contacts got too worn. replace or rebuild and youll be golden!

 

[spipedong]

My bet is the cps. unplug it and plug it back in.

You can't be serious.

The CPS has nothing whatsoever to do with whether the starter engages or not.

+1 for starter contacts. If all the gauges and lights are still working and you're getting clicking (assuming the clicking is from the starter relay) you're probably looking at the solenoid on the starter or the contacts in the starter motor.

A more retarded option that kept happening on my 7M was the little signal wire that came from the starter relay kept falling off. So, uhh, check that too. :nono:

 

[tekdeus]

Here's what I posted on SF. This was the solution for both me and Jeremy (turbodrifter):

Hey guys, this might be a repost, but since it is such a common problem with our cars, I thought I'd post my solution. Many people's starters won't turn when they are hot, and a few people have replaced their starters and still had the same problem. 2 people, including turbodrifter said their solution was a hot start relay, since our near 20-year old wiring sometimes doesn't get enough juice to the solenoid.
http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=2593146
I found this article on the net and did this today, took a couple of hours and is working great so far. The starter signal wire I took right off the ignition key which was the thick black wire with white stripe. For safety I installed an inline 30 amp fuse plus used heat shrink tubing to shield the exposed terminals on the heavy duty F496 relay. A standard bosch relay probably would have been fine too but I went with the big one.

*** P.S. I also had the dreaded "cranks but won't start when hot" problem which I fixed by hard-wiring the connection at the CPS plug.

 

[91T breezen']

Well, it still is an on and off again problem. Re-installed the battery today, and she started right up! Still starting right up, probably will give me trouble again after sitting all night.:aigo: Would that be something to do with the starter? If it is just worn contacts, like most of you guys have alluded to, why would it make any difference whether it had been 10 minutes, or 10 hours between starts?:icon_conf Maybe a combination of a weak battery and bad contacts???? well, I'll try and nail it down this weekend for sure.:icon_razz
Thanks to all, and Brad especially, for the write-up liink.:icon_bigg

Tom

 

[pimptrizkit]

i have the same problem with my starter right now,

i have had this problem with many other nipen denso style starts, like i stated before,
these starters are rebuildble,

what happens like i said they arc, and will cause sute and spark flash build up, and aswell as starter dust getting all over the componets,

when the contacts start arcin,they become hot, and as they cool, the dust can flake off, or in some cases, they contacts bend a little bit/ the spark jumps acrosse conductive particals and the car will start like normal,

there has been nights while delivering pizza they every time i would start my car to deliver, it would click, somes times i could just beat on the starter with a 1/2 inch ratchet and it would start, other times i had to get my manenger to come out and crank (attempt to start the car) my car while i beat on the starter

funny thing is since i stoped using it as a Dd, i haven't had starter issues!

 

[hottscennessey]

If it started right up after you re-installed the battery that means that there is something wrong with your battery terminals, and you just repositioned them in just the right way so they could flow current. Corrosion is probably blocking the flow.

Could be the battery, but first things first. replace those 15 y/o contacts!

 

[Jaguar_5]

If you need a hand with anything breezin, let me know!

 

[tekdeus]

My starting was intermittent too, sometimes when cold, but more often when hot. I cleaned every terminal there was, battery, ground, starter wire... it was only when I installed the new relay that the problem was 100% gone. I recommend trying that before you try a new starter. So in order try to first clean all your connectiones, 2nd install a new relay like in the diagram above, and lastly, a new starter. (P.S. I also soldered new ends onto my main starter cable because it was looking old and green with corrosion)