Stock 2.0 76 FI Gremlins. No start

[highlandmurf]

Hi all,
As the title says, my 76 is currently not starting after a flawless running short weekend trip. Details as follows.

Pre engine rebuild had a cold start issue. Needed starter fluid below 50°

Post engine rebuild, needs starter fluid all the time.
Good compression on all four.

Put 100 miles on the bus with no issues. Parked it in the garage for 2 weeks. Will not start.

Engine tried to fire very briefly on an ample amount of starter fluid. Battery ran down.

Fuel pump check- Key on, opened AFM flap. Pump not running.

Ran hot wire from starter to pump. Pump runs.

Ran hot wire to terminal 88d on the fuel plug that goes from Double Relay to pump(red/blue wire). Pump works

Installed new double relay, no change

Charged battery with 50amp setting on pro grade recharger (I don’t have 24 hr access to garage, and couldn’t trickle charge) volt meter read 15 and change with charger running, 13 and change when disconnected.

Attempted to check wire from starter to double relay with test light while cranking. No light, but not confident that i got a good connection.

Reconnected relay plugs.

Hard start relay fuse good.

Was going to crank the engine, just to see if plugging/unplugging the relay, cleaned off the contacts enough to work.

At this point, I heard a loud hum at the back of the bus. Checked to see if the charger was malfunctioning. Found the heater blower, spinning very strong. Shut off charger, still blowing. Checked heater lever. Still blowing
So, key off charger off and the blower fan is running stronger than it should. Only way to turn it off is to disconnect the battery.
Not sure if this amounts to a faulty
Fan relay on top of the starting issue.

Gonna try to get some time in after work tomorrow. Any suggestions on where to begin, are appreciated.
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1976 Westy Marigold Yellow
2.0 stock FI
My M-Plate

[telford dorr]

First thing: connect a heavy duty test light between the disconnected positive battery cable and the battery positive post. Does it light up or glow? If so - not good. Cooked something in the blower circuitry: alternator / regulator / fan relay. Gotta fix (or disconnect) that first. Unless you're using a smart regulated charger, disconnecting the battery before charging is a good idea. The old style brute force chargers can damage things...

If pushing the AFM flap open with the key on doesn't make the fuel pump run, then there's an issue with the double relay or the connections at the starter or double relay (like a pin pushed out of a relay connector). See schematic [columns 72 to 82] for fuel pump circuitry. Note: turning the key on should cause the double relay to click (applying power to the FI controller). Pushing the AFM flap should cause the double relay to click again (applying power to the fuel pump). Without the pump running, neither will the engine...
_________________
'71 panel, now with FI
'Experience' is the ability to recognize a mistake when you're making it again - Franklin P. Jones
In theory, theory works in practice; in practice, it doesn't - William T. Harbaugh
When you're dead, you don't know you're dead. The pain is only felt by others.
Same thing happens when you're stupid. - Philippe Geluck
More VW electrical at http://telforddorr.com/ (available 9am to 9pm PST)

[borninabus]

it sounds like you have a wiring problem.
i'd also be interested in the results of some fuel pressure tests.
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88 Van WBX, A/T - 13 JSW TDI 6M/T - 2012 Touareg TDI Sport

[highlandmurf]

Follow up.

Hit the starter connections with some steel wool. Problem resolved.
Need to get some hooded wire connectors for the starter.

Heater fan resolved by just unplugging and reinstalling the relay.
Must have gotten stuck internally.

Do they still make the fan relay new?

Thanks for the input.
_________________
1976 Westy Marigold Yellow
2.0 stock FI
My M-Plate

[Jetfxr69]

Along with cleaning your starter connections, did you clean or replace the braided ground strap from the front of the trans to the frame? If your starter connections were enough to not allow it to crank, you may also have a corroded or dirty ground strap connection that needs attention.
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You can't be a real country unless you have a beer and an airline. It helps if you have some kind of a football team, or some nuclear weapons, but at the very least you need a beer. Zappa

‘77 westy Seamus
‘76 tintop Crusher
‘77 westy The Judge
‘72 tintop bastard westy Hudson

[Jetfxr69]

Avoid starter fluid. Youll wash any oil right off your cyl walls. When my csv failed, i simply depress throttle while cranking. The extra air drawn in pulls the afm door open quickly, which moves the wiper arm to a position that demands more fuel (i.e. longer injector pulse). Mine started up after a few turns of the starter, even on cold days without the csv working.
_________________
You can't be a real country unless you have a beer and an airline. It helps if you have some kind of a football team, or some nuclear weapons, but at the very least you need a beer. Zappa

‘77 westy Seamus
‘76 tintop Crusher
‘77 westy The Judge
‘72 tintop bastard westy Hudson

[highlandmurf]

Ground strap at trans is relatively new, when
I had the trans rebuilt 2 years ago.

I cleaned the main battery ground then as well.
Might replace the ground and bolt there, just to be on the safe side.

Engine was/is cranking though.
_________________
1976 Westy Marigold Yellow
2.0 stock FI
My M-Plate