Slow cranking. Bad ground possibly?

[anarchyx34]

I just swapped a 1.6TD into my previously gas powered jetta. The thing cranks real slow, to slow to actually start the motor. I noticed the ground cable coming from the battery (the only ground that I found) gets really hot from cranking so I'm figuring the ground is just lousy. I used a pair of jumper cables to act as an additional ground, and it definitely cranked a little quicker, but still not quick enough. So I jump started it with another car, that got it running (for the first time! Whoo hoo!). I know the battery is ok as it's fairly new and I've accidentally left my lights on for 5 hours a couple of times and never had a problem cranking the gas motor. I dont think the diesels use a different battery do they?

I'm considering buying this, hopefully it'll do the trick?

http://www.vividwonders.com/product_info.php?products_id=214

[745 turbogreasel]

A stock replacement cable should be fine, but the diesel battery is a good deal biggger than the gasser.  Maybe not crucial for starting, but anytime everything isn't perfect, the smaller battery will haunt you.

[Darkness_is_spreading]

Bigger battery,  and run a huge battery cable, you should be able to pick up cable from any auto supplier  or similar,  and   have a cheaper and higher capcity cable.

[addautomotive]

Just to clarify, are you using a gasser starter?

I know a gasser starter will fit, and will turn over the motor, but it may really struggle to spin a diesel engine with good compression.

My mother's 1.6TD had a gasser starter. It worked, but it didn't work WELL. MAde a significant difference to switch to a proper diesel starter.

[anarchyx34]

I think I'm using the diesel starter, that's what I requested at the junkyard, I'll take a pic of it maybe someone can recognize it as such. I checked on interstate battery's website and it seems like the batteries are the same. I always thought the battery looked a bit large for what kind of car it is. I cant see how a bigger battery would fit anyway. I'm thinking maybe "doubing up"
 the starter power wire and adding and additional heavy ground cable directly to one of the starter bolts.

Oh maybe here's one way to tell. The starter I'm using has 2 terminals (aside from the heavy positive cable), one terminal (the one closest to the front of the car) does nothing, and the other one (towards the trans) runs the starter.

[malone]

Moved to Troubleshooting. IDI Engine is for power enhancement related discussion only.

[burn_your_money]

The diesel starter is much larger then the gasser, if you hold them side by side it is easy to tell.

You may also want to run a ground from the starter right to the battery, that's what I did and it works much better. You might already have this, I have a mk1.

Diesel batteries should have a minimum of 800 CCAs. As fas as I am aware they are the same size as the lower CCA batteries, but I could be wrong.

[Master ACiD]

the gas starter, if a good used unit, will work fine on a diesel. my dads been using a gas starter for years with no problems on his turbo caddy.
hes also been using a tiny little honda civic battery in his 1.6td again it works fine.

just for reference, that same honda battery started my dads inline 6 cummins 5.9L diesel motor in 40 degree weather. and it didnt even crank slow. if a little honda battery can start a 5.9L when its near freezing out, it shouldnt have any problems starting a 1.6 diesel in the worst of conditions.


what would one do with an 800cca battery? the vw diesel starter doesnt even draw 200cca.  i could see having extra cca for reserve, but 4x ?

[Doug]

handy to have when it is -30C!

[QuickTD]

what would one do with an 800cca battery? the vw diesel starter doesnt even draw 200cca. i could see having extra cca for reserve, but 4x ?

 What would you do with 800cca? If you have to ask, you must live in Florida, oh wait, you DO live in florida!  

[burn_your_money]

For real, 40 degrees is still warm up here. -40 is when it's cold and those extra 600 CCAs really come in handy.

[Master ACiD]

perhaps i could understand needing more battery in such extremes, however it brings up a new question,  would an idi diesel even start in -30 or -40 weather? i thought the acid and water in a lead acid battery would freeze at such extreme tempsaure and diesel should be as solid as the keyboard i am typing on!

isnt that cold enough that ur eyeballs can frost over? you have no buisness being outside at that temp! stay inside and call a search and rescue team, huddle close to a girl and wait for rescue.

[burn_your_money]

LOL, it's pretty common to hit -30, -40 is a bit more extreme up here. Especially with the windchill. I've gone snowboarding in -30 before, with the windchill it was well below -35.

I beleive diesel starts to gell at -40. We have "winter diesel" up here that is blended to avoid gelling.

My gas van started decent in -30 without being plugged in so I imagine a diesel could do it, just not happily.

[QuickTD]

you have no buisness being outside at that temp!

Probably, but it's the price we pay for having no hurricanes, earthquakes or poisonous snakes...

[addautomotive]

My brother in law worked as an ER doctor in Edmonton AB last year. He said in one particularly nasty cold snap, he had people coming in with frostbite on their hands... from boosting their cars. It was -40 and with the wind, your skin could only be exposed for a couple minutes without doing damage.

FWIW, in my old 87 Jetta, I had a 1200CCA battery. I remember being in a parking lot in the winter and a Dodge Ram diesel plow couldn't start. I offered him a boost and he kinda scoffed, 'till I popped the hood!