Club 80-90 Forums

The long cable run and possible voltage drop from the battery to the engine end has been mooted as a possible source of "sticky" or hot starting problems in older vans . Anyone transpanted the battery to the engine end or in the rear locker. Any insuperable problems likely.?

I did look into this. I gave up in the end because i worked out the earth was the issue and just cleaned them up.

I assume you'd put it in the gap under the side pods in the engine bay? Just be aware how wet that bit can get.

Whether you mount it in the rear (and not recommended for above reason) or the front, some part of the circuit is always going to have a long run if you think about it. The ideal spot (and VW didn't design the body that way) is to create a recessed 'box that sits right over the nose of the gearbox (ie you get to it under rear seat - dead centre) but it would be a cutting/welding job to accommodate it. On non-syncros theres a great deal of wasted space above the gearbox if you look under rear wheel arch.

Better really to improve the quality and secure fitting of existing battery supply cables. If theres a voltage drop for the starter from ignition, you could always fit a relay.

But they are already mounted in the rear on proper engined vans. (and it doesn't get wet)

Hi all thanks for replies. Does the Caravelle with rear mounted battery ever have this "will it start or won't it " syndrome which I have had in both of my vans so far for about 20 years despite following usual reccomendations.
Family got sick of me saying it on holidays.

Moving the battery won't cure anything, in fact it will make the wiring even longer, the power will have to come from the back to the front switches and then back again. Hot starting problems also happens to front engined vehicles it means there is a fault which needs to be fixed, poor connections, ignition switch or starter.

bigherb wrote:Moving the battery won't cure anything, in fact it will make the wiring even longer, the power will have to come from the back to the front switches and then back again.

I think there would probably be relays involved, rather than running the starter voltage all the way to the front of the van and back.

Actually, I'm pretty sure that (in diesel vans at lease) the starter switch just powers the solenoid, and that makes the connection for the starter motor - the heavy starter current doesn't go through the ignition switch in any case.

As I said

For the work involved in rerouting it, you still need to replace/extend cables and might just as well fit heavier guage or make good connections. The nearest VW got to reducing distance between starter and battery was in the beetle, being only inches away. I've never had a problem starting. Good battery, good connections, there shouldn't be a problem.

I just replaced the cable and put a better earth in, job done. My Batts behind the drivers seat..