1986 Golf 1.6 N/A Crank No Start

[TylerDurden]

My thoughts go straight to the ignition switch. I have battery voltage at the battery and the starter.

Agree.

If you are stranded, you can hotwire the starter. Trans must be in neutral.

[8v-of-fury]

Yup. Put 12v to the smaller wire on the starter WITH THE CAR IN NEUTRAL!. If it cranks this way, you are looking at more than likely the ignition switch.

[jhax]

Well the starter turns when i hot wire it but my battery voltage is too low to start the engine. So it looks like a new ignition switch is in order.

[8v-of-fury]

What??

Does the low battery voltage not throw a red flag up here?? If you just drove it.. the battery should be at least more than enough charged to start the car..

A bad ignition switch did not cause this, yes it may be bad as well.. but apparently your alternator is still not working.

[jhax]

The battery was at high 11V. Every time I had driven before this the belt would squeal indicating the alternator was working. And when I was having the glow plug issue the engine would always crank. So it seems like its the ignition switch is gone When I get a new switch is the charging problem persists ill just exchange the alternator again.

[8v-of-fury]

Anything under 12V at rest is considered "fully discharged", how old is your battery? Maybe it has just bitten the dirt.

Were you having a belt squeal on your last two trips??

[jhax]

I do not know how old the battery is. It came with the car, I think i may have stated before that it seems to have come from a junk yard, has GOOD written in marker on the side of it. Also has a date scratched on the top cover. I took the battery to o'rilley back when the problem originally started and the tech said it checked out. I will have to wait to get a battery until my tax return comes. I would like my next battery to be light weight, small and gel cell. My problem is that I am unsure if that particular battery will have the cold cranking amps to start my car. I am also planning on doing a 1.9 ALH swap in the future which would be more of a challenge for a smaller battery to start it. I used a wheelchair battery to start my AWP 1.8t swapped car. Would anyone have any suggestions for these small gel celled batteries? I have heard that DEKA dominates, is there anything else that can be used?

[8v-of-fury]

Do you have frequent 32F weather during the winter in Tempe? If you didn't need the CCA then I'd say a small Gel-Cell would suffice even with the ALH (which will require the same cranking amps), probably less even.. as the Glow Plugs will not need to be used unless it is less than 32F out...

I have had batteries test good, and still be siht.

I think you need to have the starter tested and or replaced as well as the starter bushing.

Bad bushing, wrecks starter, kills battery, kills alt... vicious circle

[scrounger]

Don't skimp on a battery if you want it to last. One of the worst things that happens to batteries is that the are discharged past say 50%. Keeping the battery near fully charged is much better for it. A bigger battery usually lasts longer than a smaller one.

I thought you had mentioned that your battery tested good. I guess that really meant that someone in a salvage yard had written "good" on it with a grease pencil. And then it got run flat a dozen times, killing off any "good" that was left in it.

Learn by this.

Did I read that the belt still chattering? If so you car is not fixed.

[jhax]

It only chirps from the time it kicks on until it warms up then its fine. And only at night.

[TylerDurden]

It only chirps from the time it kicks on until it warms up then its fine. And only at night.

That's common, but not necessarily typical.

I'd load-test the battery (shops will test for free) and keep an eye the alternator output.

I'll occasionally put long leads on a DMM and run it into the cabin for a temporary voltmeter, to watch battery and charging behavior for a few days.

[8v-of-fury]

I personally just replace the battery at this point, as it needs it anyhow. Get a big Group 34, or even one from a 2000-2005?? F-150.

Should be very common, and is commonly 1000+ CA. I have three of these F-150 batteries in two mk1 1.9L's and a mk2 1.6TD. It spins them perfectly fast.

If it even chirps the belt when the alternator begins to charge it means the belt is too loose, or too worn.. making it too loose Replace the damn belt, all of this slipping on the pulley has worn it for sure if it wasn't already toast when you started this thread.

[jhax]

Yep, just as i suspected, bog ol' crack through the upper lip of the switch.

[jhax]

soo something that kind of irks me. i bought this ignition switch from autohausaz.com last thursday. this company is literally 3 BLOCKS from my house, i can walk there in 10 minutes. And it takes them/UPS ground innovations 4 DAYS to ship the part to my house. I called them the last time i bought a part from them and asked if I could go there and simply pick up the part and they said no because they didnt have a store front but im sure they have a bunch of these parts in boxes in their warehouse. Ugh, i would be able to drive now if this werent the case. Okay rant over.

[jhax]

well i have come to the conclusion that my car hates me...new ignition switch drive around a bit and still no charge. so im going to get a new alternator, put it on trickle charge all night, im looking at a new battery but need to get paid first http://www.tristatebattery.com/9agm48-deka-agm-exact-fit-battery-p-1321.html thats what im looking at.