Dead starter? Video inside.

[Farlos]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2diZ6pFSYc

Good battery, (is my TDi's battery) less than 1 year old.


Might need new brushes in my starter?

[R.O.R-2.0]

are the ground and power wires known to be good?

added any extra grounds? they are not a bad idea, supplemental grounds..

checked your starter bushing?

if your ground and power wires are good, and your starter bushing is also good, and the car still runs as it should,

then it would lead me to believe that you have something dragging, or just that your starter is shot..

can you coast start the car, and have it run as normal? just wont re-start?

didnt seem like it was pulling very many amps.. usually a dead starter will dim the lights when cranking, even with a NEW battery..

[Farlos]

are the ground and power wires known to be good?

How can i test them?

added any extra grounds? they are not a bad idea, supplemental grounds..

How can i add any extra grounds? maybe to the head?

checked your starter bushing?

No, how can i?

if your ground and power wires are good, and your starter bushing is also good, and the car still runs as it should,

then it would lead me to believe that you have something dragging, or just that your starter is shot..

can you coast start the car, and have it run as normal? just wont re-start?

didnt seem like it was pulling very many amps.. usually a dead starter will dim the lights when cranking, even with a NEW battery..

So, you think my starter is fine, but my wiring is bad?

[TylerDurden]

First:
- What year is the car, engine?
- will it start with a jump from another car?
- will it start after charging the battery?
- has it taken a long time cranking before starting?
- are the battery terminals and cable-ends clean from corrosion where they join?

[wdkingery]

if you don't mind a bit of defiling:

go to the junkyard and..

1.) pull a gasser starter (or diesel if they have one)
     - install it
2.) grab the battery cables off an f150 (or f250 if they got one)
     - remove 1 or 2 valve cover nuts and thread a bare end of the battery cable under that little metal bar that connects them all, and connect the other end to the negative battery terminal

3.) use the remaining section of battery cable from the f250 to connect the positive battery terminal with the starter, and if you have enough, you can double the one that runs to the alternator as well.

that is all

[Farlos]

First:
- What year is the car, engine?
- will it start with a jump from another car?
- will it start after charging the battery?
- has it taken a long time cranking before starting?
- are the battery terminals and cable-ends clean from corrosion where they join?

-1992, RB engine, 1.6 td with intercooler
-Yes
- In summer yes, in winter no
- The last time i jump started it was in september, have not touched it ever since.
- the battery terminals are deff in good nick, but the cables are old, from a 1986 GTi.

if you don't mind a bit of defiling:

go to the junkyard and..

1.) pull a gasser starter (or diesel if they have one)
     - install it
2.) grab the battery cables off an f150 (or f250 if they got one)
     - remove 1 or 2 valve cover nuts and thread a bare end of the battery cable under that little metal bar that connects them all, and connect the other end to the negative battery terminal

3.) use the remaining section of battery cable from the f250 to connect the positive battery terminal with the starter, and if you have enough, you can double the one that runs to the alternator as well.

that is all

i already have 2 gasser starters, but i didnt think they can start a diesel engine, i will give it a try.

Here in Spain there is not even one f150 in a junkyard, but i get the point, good stiff cables for an extra ground in the head and for a positive directly to the starter.

[TylerDurden]

- What year is the car, engine?
-1992, RB engine, 1.6 td with intercooler
-ok

- will it start with a jump from another car?
-Yes
- then maybe the starter is OK, but battery is perhaps bad.


- will it start after charging the battery?
- In summer yes, in winter no
- batteries get poor in the winter, not usually starters


- has it taken a long time cranking before starting?
- The last time i jump started it was in september, have not touched it ever since.
- I should ask better... Does the starter need to crank more than 30 sec to start the engine? That will make the brushes/starter/bushing wear faster.


- are the battery terminals and cable-ends clean from corrosion where they join?
- the battery terminals are deff in good nick, but the cables are old, from a 1986 GTi.
- They might be small for a diesel... if they get warm from cranking, bigger is better.



It sounds as likely (or more) to be battery/charging as starter.

What is the resting voltage of the battery?
What is the voltage at the battery when the engine is running (after the glow is over and dash indicator LED is off)

Testing the charging system basics here: http://www.vwdiesel.net/forum/index.php?topic=32799.msg304607#msg304607


"...def in good nick..." A traditional Spanish expression? 

[Farlos]

- What year is the car, engine?
-1992, RB engine, 1.6 td with intercooler
-ok

- will it start with a jump from another car?
-Yes
- then maybe the starter is OK, but battery is perhaps bad.


- will it start after charging the battery?
- In summer yes, in winter no
- batteries get poor in the winter, not usually starters


- has it taken a long time cranking before starting?
- The last time i jump started it was in september, have not touched it ever since.
- I should ask better... Does the starter need to crank more than 30 sec to start the engine? That will make the brushes/starter/bushing wear faster.


- are the battery terminals and cable-ends clean from corrosion where they join?
- the battery terminals are deff in good nick, but the cables are old, from a 1986 GTi.
- They might be small for a diesel... if they get warm from cranking, bigger is better.



It sounds as likely (or more) to be battery/charging as starter.

What is the resting voltage of the battery?
What is the voltage at the battery when the engine is running (after the glow is over and dash indicator LED is off)

Testing the charging system basics here: http://www.vwdiesel.net/forum/index.php?topic=32799.msg304607#msg304607


"...def in good nick..." A traditional Spanish expression? 

Thank you so much for your attention, im spanish but i learnt my poor english in a little village in UK.

I will try to jumpstart the car as soon as i can, and i will change the main wires to and from the battery, re tighten the nuts from all the wire connectors and then, if everything fails, remove the starter and have it inspected at home.

If everything is working properly, would a gasser starter be able to start a diesel engine? because there are far more gassers here than diesels, and diesel replacements are more expensive.

thanks again!

[theman53]

Gasser will do it but the diesel is better. I would say that it is a starter bushing problem.

[R.O.R-2.0]

Gasser will do it but the diesel is better. I would say that it is a starter bushing problem.

they will start a WARM engine..

they struggle to fire it when cold tho..

[wdkingery]

Gasser will do it but the diesel is better. I would say that it is a starter bushing problem.

they will start a WARM engine..

they struggle to fire it when cold tho..

I got a tied gasser starter that starts a cold motor running on pure wmo ;-)

[Farlos]

Gasser will do it but the diesel is better. I would say that it is a starter bushing problem.

they will start a WARM engine..

they struggle to fire it when cold tho..

I got a tied gasser starter that starts a cold motor running on pure wmo ;-)

So, any 020 starter will work?

[srgtlord]

No get a real diesel starter and call it a day....

[8v-of-fury]

I do recommend using a diesel starter, but any standard mk1,2 or 3 gas starter will get you by.

[wdkingery]

i mean if you are going to go drop $100 on a new starter, obviously get a diesel one..

but if you have "any 020 starter" laying around, install it.