Club 80-90 Forums

Cool, thanks. Weirdly my top up tank is full (now I add that little bit) but expansion tank empty apart from some condensation. I replaced the dalek cap the same time as the garage replaced the coolant (and it was empty then too).

*1989 1.9 DG WBX engine* I've just topped up my coolant with some water as it had dropped a little after some very long trips. I have some coolant from the previous owner but it's purple and the stuff that my local classic VW specialist put in last year looks more red to me than purple. They said at...

Thanks all. I presume the random tube of plastic on the end is just to protect it? Seems an odd design.

Can anyone tell me what this pipe sticking out is for please? pipe pic

Problem solved... The 'new' starter motor I had a garage fit in the summer was knackered and seems to have destroyed its insides. Probably a recon, not helped by the fact the connections coming from the van had not been cleaned up or tightened up properly.

Very incredibly annoying!

Annoyingly after 2.5 weeks of working PERFECTLY the problem has come back this weekend with a vengeance - just a click nearly every time I try and start it. I have to either try and try and try again to get it to start or connect the charger to the battery for a couple of mins. Annoying! So now I'm ...

Quick update... at the weekend I replaced the gearbox earth strap with a nice new one (original one was very ropey) and replaced the fan belt which also looked in a bad state and was a bit too loose. I checked the battery connections and starter motor connections but these all looked shiny and OK. T...

Thanks. 14 pin connector seems absolutely fine. Where are the earths at the front? The 'crown' ones behind the fusebox? If so they looked OK when I checked them last week. Battery connections seem fine too. It's a new battery and they are clamped on well. I'll check the earth strap underneath when i...

I'll double check the earths/starter connections (when it's not raining) but what's confusing me is why this only happens every now and again? If it's a bad earth, surely it would happen every time? And why does charging up the battery for a few mins always cure it? Also, why has the oil light on th...

But have you checked the voltages with the engine running and under load with and without the engine running  Alternator or wiring?      Easy to establish      Take a voltage reading at the alternator ( using the casing as neg )   If you have less than 14v between the alternator output and the casi...

Interesting! At the moment it absolutely will not start. Yet I know if I pop the charger on for a few mins it will, as it has done for months now. I actually think when I got the starter motor changed earlier this year that wasn't the problem. I'll keep you posted.

Cool, thanks. While waiting for a new ignition switch I did some investigation with my multimeter. The battery is showing 12.55v this morning. The red feed to the ignition switch is giving 12.54v so I guess that's good. The starter motor live is the same, and the starter motor live earthed to the ge...

Thanks - will investigate and report back.

I'm wondering though why charging the battery for a few mins (where it must only go from say 99% to 100%) results in it usually starting? If it was the switch surely it would just be broken all the time?

Thanks I'll see if I can get hold of a spare ignition switch. I've checked the battery clamps and they seem fine. Today I've noticed the oil light comes on for a split second when I turn the key, but then goes out. It doesn't flash like it used to. Could this be a clue? Yesterday it was mostly not c...

Hi all. Seeking some help. First of all, my van is a 1989 T25 1.9 petrol Holdsworth Villa 3 camper, and this summer it had a new starter motor and battery. Annoyingly, it's started to dislike starting again. Not every time, but a lot of the time. The starter motor just clicks and nothing else happen...