Someone respond before I blow $130 on a new starter

A hot starter will need more current to get up and go than a cold starter. A crappy ignition switch will not allow as much current to flow to the starter, and that is just a $20 part. Details on the swap here:

Try this, next time it happens, take an old cheap screwdriver and from the threaded post on the starter (the one the battery cable is bolted to), touch it to the spade that sticks out of the starter (had 1 wire coming off of it, said wire runs to your ignition switch). When you short those 2 points with a screwdriver, and the starter engauges, then that very well could be the ignition switch, which is known to cause random no start problems in A2 VWs like yours.

Also, how are the battery cables? Double check the ground cable and make sure every contact point is clean, voltage drop from cables can become a problem if they have never been cared for.

Hope this info helps you out.

Another thing to try is check the timing. Sometimes when the distributor is advanced too much the engine is running too hot and won't turn over until it cools down.

--VJS

I'd go with the Dave inspired thoughts:

Heat soak, larger (lower gauge) starter cable, cleaned and renewed ground(s) and battery terminals, etc., etc.

I'm not sure if your year had the hot start fix installed but if not the relay that gets straight amps directly to the starter is key.

Autos, with the starter in the back near the exhaust are notorious for this problem.

hth, TBerk

Want to top off with this site:

Stern is talking improving your lighting but the starter is just another thing that needs power, apply the same principles: Clean metal to metal contact, large diameter cable for low impedance/resitance, fuses inline (near battery end pls.) to avoid 'boint' wires, and slap a little dielectric grease on all those contacts to keep the O2 & moisture from causing corrosion in the future.

btw- nothing wrong with not knowing what a schematic represents or how to read one, pickup an intro book from radio shack, or , 'the truth is out there.

TBerk I can't believe I quoted the X-Files.

Thanks for the reply. I took electronics in college and scored 90%, I just couldn't make out his grade 2 wiring diagram. Actually it is fixed now and thanks to all that responded. The starter that was in the car had a bad solenoid. Some company actually makes a pre wired relay kit for this exact problem, it was installed and now I have no issue. The only thing I paid for was the labour to replace the starter, the starter had a 5 yr warranty on it. Let's hope this relay fix and new starter holds up. My VW mechanic (Ian @ metric auto here in Ottawa) say's he has installed the relay setup on damn near every a2 automatic he's had through his shop. As I said "bad f*cking design".

Brad

Jim B.

Yup very silly, I don't even mind the fact the the starter is located close to the exaust. It's the fact that they used so many junction points for the wire going to the solenoid that it actually loses current. Keep it simple I say. They should have also protected the starter more by using a better shield or rapping the starter with heat resistant material.

I had (have) this. IT WAS NOT THE STARTER.

What is happening in my case, is the alternator is not generating enough voltage to charge the battery but is generating enough to keep the battery from completely discharging.

With no charge in the battery, when I throw the starter switch, it's a crapshoot if there's enough voltage (for the load given) to cause the solenoid to engage. Even if it does, it's then a crapshoot (apparently) whether there's enough voltage to actually drive the starter (given the load).

Why it works after a wait? I guess either the battery "recovers" (it was being drained while operating the car's systems) a little or, as another poster mentioned, when the starter/solenoid cools, it requires less voltage to operate.

You need to measure the output of your alternator while running. Also try charging your battery and see if that helps. Measuring the voltage of the battery won't help as unless it is really sick, it will read

12V without any load anyway.

Rich

Jim B.

IMHO, even though you tried to jump the starter, it still sounds like the heat sink problem. This IS an automatic with the starter back by the firewall, right. And when you try to start it hot, you get nothing, no click, no revolutions, right? Even if you need a new starter, it's worth your while to add the relay. For one, it's a heck of a lot easier than pulling out that starter. And two, if you get a new starter, you'll probably need the relay anyway. I had no problems with the heat sink on mine, but when I had the engine out last year, I decided I might as well change the starter since it was the original and I had easy access to it. Was I pissed the first time I drove it somewhere and had to wait a half hour before it would start again. Then I had to crawl up under there and add the relay. RRRRRRRRRRRR

Tim

Do you hear the solenoid trying to engage? I had a problem with a solenoid 'piston' not being able to move smoothly through it's cylinder. It was fixed by wiping the 'piston' and cylinder walls clean. I did not apply any type of lubricant afterwards.

Good luck, Rob > My 88 Jetta has major starting problems after I drive for a while. I get