learning from the Samba (or, better, the sambanisti)

[Paulbeard]

Had my first no-start today and went through some brief diagnostics:

• Fuel pump works
• Starter makes click as if it wants to work
• Jumping the starter battery from the aux doesn't work
• Metered both, they have adequate charge (12.5, 11 and change)

Hmm.

Went back up three flights to get a hammer (second trip, as I had to get the meter from up there), took a few good whacks at the solenoid, success…

Ran my errands, started twice more without incident.

So I need to be sure a hammer is in my tool roll…

I might have gotten there eventually but all my reading of threads on here paid off. Some of it I have no idea what's going on but I read on…
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Currently -> Frida: 87 Tizian Red (mostly) Vanagon GL Westfalia w/ 2.0L ABA conversion
Formerly -> Steward of a 73 Super Beetle (Beater) and 67 Beetle 1300 (Little Max) both names by POs

[0to60in6min]

it's good... but you can give some whacks till the day it won't stat even with a good beating...

[Chainsaw]

WACK IT!!👍
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89 Westy. 2wd. Manual.

[dhaavers]

Classic "fix" for a sticky starter, but I gotta say I'm not a fan of your battery charge level(s)... FWIW:

Batteries were new when...???

- Dave
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86 White Wolfsburg Westy Weekender
"The WonderVan"
<EDITED TO PROTECT INNOCENT PIXELS>

[ALIKA T3]

Learning grammar too on TheSamba.

I would say, Sambanisti doesn't sound right, it sounds like the plural of sambanisto, which would sound italian, vs sambanista which we heard here before, more of a latin american origin, thus plural should be Sambanistas.

Cheers!
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http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=416343
Syncro http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4...num+gadget

[rubbachicken]

i would not recommend hitting a starter motor with a hammer, they ALL say on them now, do NOT strike with a hammer.
i think you are more likely to do more harm than good.
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markswagen {mobile mechanic} san diego area all early VW's cared for.

619 201 0310 or 617 935 4182

[pablum]

[Paulbeard]

Yeah, my house battery needs a good topping up. If my planned 200 mile round trip tomorrow doesn't do it, I'll have some questions. The starter battery is of…indeterminate age. Installer never punched out the date codes so I'm at a loss. It might need replacing. The house battery is just a couple of months old and was discharged pretty deeply a couple of weeks back. Still catching up.

I'm not a fan of whacking things with a hammer (other than nails) but I'm even less of a fan of not getting on my way. So I compromised. When should I be thinking of getting a new starter in there?
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Currently -> Frida: 87 Tizian Red (mostly) Vanagon GL Westfalia w/ 2.0L ABA conversion
Formerly -> Steward of a 73 Super Beetle (Beater) and 67 Beetle 1300 (Little Max) both names by POs

[0to60in6min]

it depends...
Do you want peace in mind? if so then new starter and new main battery

[Team WorldTour]

Start with the battery, it's the cheaper option (maybe both need changing, but start with the cheaper one first).
I've been down this road before, thinking it was the starter when a new battery worked wonders...
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1990 Feldjäger Syncro AAZ
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