84 water cooled vw westfalia won't start

May 21, 2004 1 Replies

howdy all, i'm having a problem with my 84' westy starting. i've had the battery jumped, which is practically brand new, and ran fine. which i then took it on a nice drive and then let it idle for awhile, figuring it had plenty of time to recharge. the next day i turned it over and it started, but since then it will not start. the lights, stereo, etc. work. so i'm wondering if this is a ignition coil, starter, or alternator problem. can anyone relate or have any suggestions? thanks, chris



My first step would be to check your alternator to make sure it is charging the battery. Get a multimeter, check your battery voltage across the +- terminals. Should be around 12. After jump-starting the vanagon give 'er a few revs to give the alternator a generous chance to self-excite. You should see the battery voltage jump up to 13-15 volts. If it stays at a battery-like ~12 volts you have found your problem.

Of course check all your wiring harnesses, battery ground, starter connections etc. etc.

-A

yellowsubmar> howdy all,

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