TheSamba.com :: View topic

Thu Jan 10, 2019 2:49 pm

Hey guys, had the run around in my 86 2.1l tintop vanagon this week. It was having trouble starting, sometimes it would take 5 tries and a little gas pedal to start. It was just in at the shop a week before it started happening as I’m going out of town in it tonight. When it started having trouble starting I called the shop and said I was gonna bring it in. Battery is brand new as is starter. The car would crank, but not catch. You could hear the fuel pump humming. Spark plugs were fine. Went to bring it to the shop, and couldn’t get it to start, after an hour of trying, checking grounds, I had it towed over. The next day they called and said they had figured it out, it was the wire from the alternator to the battery was corroded. They replaced and I picked it up. Next day (day before my trip, day after it got outta the shop) same thing, barely can get it to start, when I do I take it to get gas and can barely get it to start at the station. Get it home, next morning call the shop they say bring it back, I bring it back(luckily it started that morning), we check everything they did the day before, replace all wire connectors, try to jump the fuse box, and it was still spotty. Popped off the ignition, and the ignition was cracked, put on a used one and it worked fine. Thought my story could help eliminate some of the run around for others. Check to see if your ignition has a crack.

Thu Jan 10, 2019 2:54 pm

Vanagonkillian wrote: Hey guys, had the run around in my 86 2.1l tintop vanagon this week. It was having trouble starting, sometimes it would take 5 tries and a little gas pedal to start. It was just in at the shop a week before it started happening as I’m going out of town in it tonight. When it started having trouble starting I called the shop and said I was gonna bring it in. Battery is brand new as is starter. The car would crank, but not catch. You could hear the fuel pump humming. Spark plugs were fine. Went to bring it to the shop, and couldn’t get it to start, after an hour of trying, checking grounds, I had it towed over. The next day they called and said they had figured it out, it was the wire from the alternator to the battery was corroded. They replaced and I picked it up. Next day (day before my trip, day after it got outta the shop) same thing, barely can get it to start, when I do I take it to get gas and can barely get it to start at the station. Get it home, next morning call the shop they say bring it back, I bring it back(luckily it started that morning), we check everything they did the day before, replace all wire connectors, try to jump the fuse box, and it was still spotty. Popped off the ignition, and the ignition was cracked, put on a used one and it worked fine. Thought my story could help eliminate some of the run around for others. Check to see if your ignition has a crack.
ignition CAP? wasn't sure what ignition you were referring to... :?

Thu Jan 10, 2019 3:21 pm

it's the ignition switch at the steering column... a classic vanagon's cranked but no start.. :D

Thu Jan 10, 2019 3:51 pm

Yes, one of those parts for which you should always have a spare (cheap, prone to failure, easy fix).