Club 80-90 Forums

I've just had the same problem today on my 88 multivan.
Used it a couple of times this morning and then this afternoon nothing. Checked all fuses and have a new battery. Turned the key and zilch!
HELP

You guys NEED a £10 test meter (Maplins) - the reason for a lack of power is EASY to find with that and a basic understanding of reading where / where not 12 Volts exists.

Battery = around 12.8 Volts ?

Heavy lead to solenoid (on top of starter motor) = around 12.8 Volts ?

Thinner lead to solenoid (on top of starter motor) = around 12.8 Volts when the ignition key is fully turned clockwise (will read a bit less IF then engine is trying to spin)?

Thick lead to actual starter motor when the ignition key is fully turned clockwise around 12.8 Volts ? (will read a bit less IF then engine is trying to spin)

The lack of any of the above readings will indicate where the break is

Do the checks above then post back and we can tell you where to look for the problem next.

yay. I Have life! but, yes but it still wont start. I have power from the battery to the instrument panel and all lights work again now, but when I full turn the key eveything thing swithces off. so pretty much same problem. would I be right in thinking I need a new starter, so is it shorting out somewhere?

i would be checking the main earth straps before i condemned the starter motor

jaret83mk1 wrote:would I be right in thinking I need a new starter, so is it shorting out somewhere?

No, because if a starter motor was shorting out you would sure know about it, like smoke and melted wires

What did you do to get power back to the dash then ?

It actually turned out to be a dodgy connection in the battery tray... I swear I checked there first but when I got the multi meter out it confirmed it.
And where would I find the

Mocki wrote: main earth straps

one from battery body
one from gearbox nose to chassis
maybe one from engine to chassis

ERRRRRRRR....................

Re: NO SIGN OF LIFE

by Oldiebut goodie » Wed Mar 28, 2012 3:58 pm
Battery terminals corroded or corrosion on earth leads - gearbox, body and engine if you have one (not everyone has one on the engine) are the first ports of call.

In one ear and out the other (as my dear old Mum used to say)

Bought one of those test thingies from Maplins and did the tests.
£10 WHAT A BARGAIN-half price
Mines deffo starter motor though. Managed to jump start today (with wife and kids pushing of course), plenty of power.
It's all a learning curve though and so different to my bug!

Bump start do you mean not jump start with cables?

Nah, a T25 is just a bug in a rather larger frock (with exception of diesel perhaps). You get used to it. Passed by a local garage at the weekend - Beetle in there with a pair of legs stuck out underneath it. Fella was changing the oil strainer but mentioned it was having performance issues despite replacing the carb with a brand new one.

I whipped off dizzy cap and plate was seized. Borrowed his spray grease, freed it off, sucked on vacuum unit and it was doing nothing. He was actually going to order in a 009 as supplier told him that was all that was available. I said although the vac unit (two screw 1970/71 type) was about £35 new, it would still run better than a crappy 009 which just doesn't match the power curve properly and to order the vac unit if it was to ever run right. The dizzy had no wear to cam and no play in it either - good dizzy as far as I could see. He was a bit stunned I think....

You learn all this stuff and much of it is transferable to later v-dubs. The engine bay may have hoses and wires all over the shop but most T25 engines are bug engines deep down. Intuition is a useful skill and VW had a great little engine there.

Oldiebut goodie wrote:Bump start do you mean not jump start with cables?

Yes bump

Took starter motor off yesterday, had it re-connned, fitted back today and sweet as a nut. It was a lot easier to remove and fit than i thought.

Thanks for your help guys

Nice one

Electrics all sorted, thanks for the help guys. Amazing!

......now I've just got to try and get if running