16v suddenly cranks slow, won't start

[roccit_53 at hotmail.com (C Boyko)]

I used to have weak starts, and then finally it just wouldn't start. Okay, 
let's be realistic, it's happened a lot, not just once, this is my car I'm 
talking about. But one other thing you could try is jumpering to the tranny, 
at one point mine was completely lacking that ground strap, at another it 
was loose. Both times gave a weak start. Or no start.
Cathy


>From: "T. Reed" <treed2@wsu.edu>
>To: scirocco-l@scirocco.org
>Subject: 16v suddenly cranks slow, won't start
>Date: Mon, 23 Feb 2004 23:28:31 -0800 (PST)
>
>Grrr
>
>Just when I thought my car was going to make it a month or so without
>breaking, this happens.
>
>The car had been starting reasonably quick.. not immediately but after
>about 1 crank cycle. About a day ago, I drove it to the store, parked,
>went in, came back out and tried to start it again. The starter just went
>wuH, wuH, wuH slowly and didn't kick over the engine. If I held
>the key at start it would begin to slow down even more. As a quick fix I
>tried popping off the battery terminals and putting them back on, hoping
>it might free some corrosion. Nope; had to get help from a passerby to get
>the car push-started (I was in a perfectly flat parking lot).
>
>Got home, parked, still wouldn't start.
>
>So today I popped the hood and tried to jump start it with a spare car
>battery - didn't help. Checked battery voltage: 12.20V
>
>I tried attaching the jumper cables to the battery and directly to the
>starter + terminal and metal case to bypass/augment the in-car wiring. No
>help.
>
>I pulled the battery terminals and cleaned minor corrosion off them with a
>dremel and a wirewheel. Then I pulled my chassis ground bolt and cleaned
>all the lugs on it as well.
>
>Measured the resistance from battery (-) to the radiator bracket as 0.2
>ohms. Measured the resistance from battery (+) to the starter (+) terminal
>and it was 0.1-0.2 ohms. The 8 ga wire is relatively new and in good
>shape. Likewise for the ground strap.
>
>Nothing was working so I push-started the car and let it idle for about 25
>minutes to charge the battery. I parked it on top of a hill and turned off
>the engine. It started with the starter after some hesitation. I figured:
>okay, just a low battery. Parked and let it idle some more, then turned it
>off and ran inside to grab my cell phone. Got in and tried to start it:
>wuh---wuh---wuh again.
>
>Hooked up a voltmeter so I could watch the volts as I was cranking but
>freakishly it started and I decided to drive around some more. Well, long
>story short I got in to a muddy driveway and the engine stalled. I spent
>15 minutes turning the car around by pushing it back and forth and turning
>the steering wheel. Push started it on the way out of the driveway and
>drove back home. What a pain; I'll never do that again.
>
>It has only started twice by the starter since I monkeyed with
>everything.. and both times it was very "strained". It has not-started
>countless times since then, however. So the problem is far from being
>cured or intermittent.
>
>So here's where I'm at:
>- the battery seems to have sufficient power. (Also, it was replaced about
>   2 months ago.)
>
>- the battery terminals and chassis ground have been cleaned of corrosion
>
>- the starter (+) terminal looks okay. The starter has its own aux. ground
>   strap at the lower starter bolt.. it might be slightly dirty or oily but
>   I didn't have the tools handy to pull it in daylight today.
>
>- hooking up a second battery seemed to have no effect
>
>- nothing I did above seemed to have any effect whatsoever
>
>- the starter is a bosch reman and was replaced ~17 months ago. It has
>   been starting fine (as long as there is sufficient battery power).
>
>- stock battery/starter wiring has been replaced ~2-3 years ago with
>   8 ga copper with crimped ends. (i intend to solder new ones soon; but
>   its a pain to solder something so big)
>
>
>So what the heck?! I'm fresh outta ideas unless my starter has somehow
>died on me.
>
>-Toby
>
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