1. Home
  2. Volkswagen, hot (Aircooled)
  3. Could it be my starter?

Could it be my starter?

I thought I was having problems with my battery draining and I followed my "how to keep your beetle alive forever" book and my problem is now leading me to the starter. Here's the situation:

-the car will only start if I jump it. This is why I thought it was the battery but..

-the lights are in working order.

-the oil and generator lights werent working, but after I charged the battery they worked for a while

-if I let the car sit for a day and try to check the lights, the battery will be dead again.\

I tested the starter and solenoid to see if they would make a 'whirring' noise if I connected the battery and ignition connection and the solenoid and the iginition. Neither connetion made a whirring noise which leads me to believe that my starter is shot. Correct? Would the solenoid drain my battery?

My engine is newer and in great shape. I drove my baby from LA to Chicago this past october with no problems. Recently I ve been having lots of electrical issues. There are a lot of wires with no connections and the things a jig saw puzzle, so I've made it my project to completely rewire her. Any suggestions?

Thanks everyone I appreciate it. Let me know if you have any questions.

Reply to
kt.stefani
Loading thread data ...

This is on a '72 Bus ??

Here is how to test the starter:

formatting link
sure shift in NEUTRAL! and wear glasses. I doubt your starter is at fault but give it a go.

Post back with some more precise info.

"if I let the car sit for a day and try to check the lights," Does this mean the OIL/GEN lights or the Headlights?

"the car will only start if I jump it. This is why I thought it was > the battery but.."

It might well be your battery.

Do you have a voltmeter? Doesn't need to be fancy. With engine revving a bit, measure voltage right across battery posts.

Speedy Jim

formatting link

Reply to
Speedy Jim

You might have an almost dead battery and some faulty wiring. This may not be the answer but it might help:

formatting link
It is a bugpack hard start relay. When the wiring between the starter and the ignition switch gets old, the current has a problem getting through it.

I had a start> I thought I was having problems with my battery draining and I followed

Reply to
Jim347a

MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.