Starting problems

[womad]

Hi

I have a 1988 T25 1.9 water cooled Automatic petrol

A couple of weeks ago when turning ignition key , the engine would rotate slowly as if battery was flat and then fire up normally but got worse until a couple of times the battery did go flat while trying to start even though it had restarted normally during the days journey

Had the battery tested which was absolutely fine but if a booster was used then engine started no problem. So decided to replace starter motor which seemed to solve problem (although there was a millisecond of sluggishness) but now its playing up again. Now if sluggish i touch the gear stick , which is in P , and it fires up.

So could it be a gear lever contacts problem as well and if so can this be rectified without overhauling / replacing gearbox. Just don't understand why the booster overrides the problem !!!

Keith

[kevtherev]

the booster will overide a poor earth or live contacts.
clean up all earth points (gearbox as well) and make good the battery earth to the chassis.
Clean up all the connectors to the starter till they sparkle

try that then report back

[eatcustard]

/\ /\ WHS /\ /\

Worked for me

[womad]

Ok guys thanks for that - bit pissed that may have pointlessly replaced starter motor !!!

Silly question what's best way to clean the connections etc ? and locate all the earth points ?

[kevtherev]

...with something abrasive

[womad]

Ok thanks for the advice - have now cleaned all earths and is virtually fixed !!!

Have identified wear and tear in the lead running from Battery to Starter Motor - does anybody know the Ampage of the Live Lead so I can replace it ???

Thankyou

Keith

[kevtherev]

get as thick a lead as you can.. the thicker it is the less voltage you'll lose.

Some starters draw a hell of a lot of amps I know of some that use 150 and even 350 amp, not sure what the T25 starter draws.

if it was 100 A for instance you would need a 10 AWG wire to transport the amperage with minimum loss over 10 feet (including the earth circuit)

[Oldiebut goodie]

BOSCH: 0-001-110-009,
1.8KW, 12Volt
VW VANAGON

[kevtherev]

With that knowledge it's a case of p over V X I gives 150 amps, so thats an 8 AWG or preferably higher 6 AWG wire to carry 150 amps over 10 feet with min loss ....I reckon