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my mk1 won't start



Hi Nate,
    This is probably pretty basic, but have you checked electrical ground?
    It doesn't take much amperage to turn on dash lights, even headlights; 
so with a weak ground connecton those will seem fine. Even running (like 
after a push start) the system only needs a couple dozen amps; lights and 
fuel pump. But when the starter cranks it uses all available amps, and needs 
most of them (300 -ish).
    I'd check the ground cable at the negative battery post for tightness 
and corrosion, then check where it ties into the body. Greenish white 
crunchy dust is corrosion, which will reduce the ability of the strap to 
carry electrical current. The engine and transaxle assembly (to which the 
starter is mounted) ground through a different strap; on a Mk 1 I think it's 
usually at the transaxle mount. It'll be under the air box, a little to the 
rear, a woven copper strap about 3/4" wide or so, one end under a transaxle 
mount bolt and the other end bolted directly to the unit body of the car (I 
think, memory is a bit fuzzy).
    For testing the starter itself, I think there's only two connections. 
There's one big thick sucker directly from B+ to a threaded connection on 
the solenoid, and there's a much smaller wire (red/black maybe?) that is a 
spade connector also on the solenoid. The first is hot, be careful of it. 
The second is the lead from your ignition switch that closes the starter 
solenoid and thus cranks the starter. So... make a two- piece lead, two 
wires (10-12 gauge) with one 'gator one clip on one end, other end stripped 
1/2" or so, both about 6' feet long. One wire is clipped to the positive 
side of the battery, the other wire is clipped to the spade terminal on the 
starter solenoid. If you touch the stripped ends together, the starter 
should turn if it's good.
    There might be sparks, which is why you make the wires long. You want to 
be well away from the battery when you put the two stripped ends together. 
And by the way, a good parts store oughta have what I just described, 
they'll call it something like "remote starter switch" and it's a long lead 
with clips end both ends and a push-button in the middle. If you find one 
cheap it's easier than stripping wires.
    Having a battery blow up in your face is considered less enjoyable than 
say, having a tooth pulled without anaesthetic (sp?), plus all the rest of 
your teeth, and then having your kneecaps broken.
    So be sure of the connections and wiring, check the car's out of gear 
(and not pointed at anything valuable), then double check that you're on the 
right connections again.
    But first check the ground cable and strap. The "click" you're not 
hearing is the starter solenoid, and my experience is that it's more likely 
a ground side (B-) problem than hot side (B+).
    Good luck.

Karl

>From: "Sal Guzzo" <pellom@yorku.ca>
>To: "'Nate Lowe'" <nlowe79@gmail.com>,"'Scirocco List'" 
><scirocco-l@scirocco.org>
>Subject: RE: my mk1 won't start
>Date: Thu, 6 Jul 2006 19:38:10 -0400
>
>Nate,
>
>That is a good starting point.  Have your starter inspected first.  You can
>check the starter by bridging it directly to the battery.  I don't recall
>how to do that off hand.  You may need to connect the wire that goes to the
>ignition switch directly to the positive of the battery...please remember 
>to
>put the car in neutral and have the key in the on position.
>
>I recently had a similar problem.  It was my battery that was defunct.
>
>HTH
>
>Sal
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Nate Lowe [mailto:nlowe79@gmail.com]
>Sent: July 6, 2006 6:47 PM
>To: Scirocco List
>Subject: my mk1 won't start
>
>Help!
>My car won't start under its own power. When I turn the key to the start
>position, all the lights come on nice and bright and the voltmeter reads
>12V, nothing else happens. No clicks, no starter spinning, nothing. I got 
>it
>to start at work by getting a couple guys to push my and then dumping the
>clutch. It ran fine after that, but as soon as I shut it off at my 
>apartment
>the same thing happened when I tried to start it again.
>
>I did some searching in my repair manuals, and it looks like it's either 
>the
>solenoid, the ignition switch, or the wiring between the two. I'm supposed
>to bridge starter terminals 30 and 50, but I'm not sure where exactly those
>are.
>
>Any other ideas for things to check if this doesn't work are also welcome.
>TIA
>Nate
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