hey, anyone...my 91 cab seems to have problems starting. when it starts it has no problem starting but sometimes nothing happens when i turn the key.. the fuel pump comes on and all the relays click but the starter dosen't even attempt to turn the engine. it used to happen after i would run it for a while and it got alittle hot , so i would just let it cool off and it would start but now ill go out and theres like a 30% chance it will start, and if it does, wherever i end up it will leave me stranded until it decides to start again. i wouldn't think it would be the starter b/c it never grinds when it does start...anyone ever had this problem and what did they do ??
Need help, Car has a mind of its own
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Re: Need help, Car has a mind of its own (Mk2Mania)
If yo have an automatic transmission you need the hot fix relay.
If it is a standard you probably need to repalce your battery cables and check your grounds.
If yo have an automatic transmission you need the hot fix relay.
If it is a standard you probably need to repalce your battery cables and check your grounds.
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Re: (Mk2Mania)
no it is an install option that you may need to put in. you can find the info on Kammy's web site that will redirect you to the FAQ's in the forum http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=1522750
no it is an install option that you may need to put in. you can find the info on Kammy's web site that will redirect you to the FAQ's in the forum http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=1522750
ah, i feel dumb...i found a diagram and all from a past thread but it started out not starting after the engine got hot and then after my fan ran and it cooled down it would start ...20-30 mins later but now it doesnt start at all , last night was the last i had it started and all day today it didnt start so do you think that b/c of the heat from the exhaust or wherever that it damaged something on the starter meaning i need a new starter now plus the Relay???
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Re: (Mk2Mania)
First thing I would do is to clean or replace the battery connections, remember when cleaning the positive ones do not have the main positive on the battery.... The main grounding bundle is on the drivers side strut tower.
The hot start relay is for the indications that you are describing. I would just check to see if it is installed, if not install it and I would bet that alot of your problems go away.
The Battery cables if they look green or frosty replace them as you probably have corrosion throughout the cable. I had a car with similar problems, that I kept cleaning the batter post terminal every time. But then the car wouldn't start. One day in disgust I threw my wrench and it shorted out the frame of the car to the negative terminal on the battery and it sparked.....bad ground cable.
You can test this by using a jumper cable and connect it from the main battery ground to the metal of the tranny when it dosent start.. But is would be better for you to just start cleaning everything up.
I had some flakey issues on my 90, and one of the first things I did was to go through and change out each cable one by one.
The ground cable goes from the batter to the frame from the fram to the tranny and from the frame to the engine. Some folks that I know also ground the metal of the alternator.
The engine in earlier rabbits 93-70's have thier engines isolated from the frame buy the mounts, so VW used seperate grounding points to ensure that there was current flow. That is why they have so many grounds.
First thing I would do is to clean or replace the battery connections, remember when cleaning the positive ones do not have the main positive on the battery.... The main grounding bundle is on the drivers side strut tower.
The hot start relay is for the indications that you are describing. I would just check to see if it is installed, if not install it and I would bet that alot of your problems go away.
The Battery cables if they look green or frosty replace them as you probably have corrosion throughout the cable. I had a car with similar problems, that I kept cleaning the batter post terminal every time. But then the car wouldn't start. One day in disgust I threw my wrench and it shorted out the frame of the car to the negative terminal on the battery and it sparked.....bad ground cable.
You can test this by using a jumper cable and connect it from the main battery ground to the metal of the tranny when it dosent start.. But is would be better for you to just start cleaning everything up.
I had some flakey issues on my 90, and one of the first things I did was to go through and change out each cable one by one.
The ground cable goes from the batter to the frame from the fram to the tranny and from the frame to the engine. Some folks that I know also ground the metal of the alternator.
The engine in earlier rabbits 93-70's have thier engines isolated from the frame buy the mounts, so VW used seperate grounding points to ensure that there was current flow. That is why they have so many grounds.
Re: (Mk2Mania)
Jesse,
Just put the relay in, it's a common, easy fix for a common problem. It's as old as Bosch starters. Back in the 6 volt days, VWs had hardly any relays at all, we didn't know about Ford relays or any other options except what was available from out own parts departments. We used the horn relay from Karmann Ghias, the only one available.
Best relay for these starters now days is a diode suppressed Ford starter relay!! Any auto parts store should have one, the thread referenced above has the diagram you need.
If the relay doesn't fix the problem, you'll likely need a starter, do the relay first, especially since you have an automatic.
Ron
Jesse,
Just put the relay in, it's a common, easy fix for a common problem. It's as old as Bosch starters. Back in the 6 volt days, VWs had hardly any relays at all, we didn't know about Ford relays or any other options except what was available from out own parts departments. We used the horn relay from Karmann Ghias, the only one available.
Best relay for these starters now days is a diode suppressed Ford starter relay!! Any auto parts store should have one, the thread referenced above has the diagram you need.
If the relay doesn't fix the problem, you'll likely need a starter, do the relay first, especially since you have an automatic.
Ron
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