Westy has power, but SOMETIMES doesn't want to crank

[TallPaulVT]

Have a growing issue with getting the van started. Once in a while lately (been fine till recently) the van will show full power (battery is fine) and the dash lights up nicely etc., but no starter to get it going. Even called a tow truck the other day after 2 hours of sitting around a Home Depot parking lot, only to have it start up fine when the truck got there. Embarrassing and still cost me. Similarly last night it failed in my driveway (engine cold) but started up fine this morning. Kind of a 9/10 good starts ratio.

I've replaced the ignition switch and it had a new started installed ~2 years ago when I got it. My guess is along the lines of a wire somewhere is grounding something out ... sometimes ... and somehow moves or is effected by something that causes the intermittent failure. Don't really trust it to go on a trip anywhere out of town though with it failing "for no apparent reason" like this. 100% failure - "easy" to track down but intermittent, UGH!!

Thoughts?!

[jlrftype7]

Automatic or Manual?
Replaced starter two years ago, could now have something wrong with it, as simple as a loose connection.
Check your main ground strap/cable that is bolted to the body and the end of your transmission. Remove and clean, or replace as necessary.

Cable connections at the battery, we recently had a post of an owner on a trip, who had a no crank issue that turned out to be a loose negative battery terminal connection. You can have a connection that will pass enough amperage to light up the dash/cluster, but not run the solenoid circuit of the starter motor.
_________________
'68 Westy- my first VW and vehicle/Bus- long gone.- sold it to a traveling Swiss couple....
'67 Type 3 Fastback, my 2nd car- gone
'69 Semi-Auto Stick Shift Beetle-gone
2017 MINI Coopers, our current DDs
‘84 Tin Top - Hilga....Auto

[TallPaulVT]

Automatic - should have noted that.

Great ideas. Going to check the connections on the neutral safety switch that I read from a decent Go Westy troublehshooting page.

https://www.gowesty.com/tech-article-details.php?id=33

[Yellow Rabbit]

I had something similar. The van would sometimes pause when I turned the key. It was random. It always eventually started but made me nervous. The battery seemed fine, etc. This went on for a couple years. Last winter I finally needed a new battery. It has not done it since. I can only assume it was a bad battery cell or I cleaned and tightened the battery connections better. The only change was the battery.

[vanagonjr]

[Igeo]

Similar but rarely occurring symptom on my '87 manual. Switch new, battery and connections seem fine. 1 in 10 cold starts has a 1-2 second delay after key is turned to the start position. Always starts then, and the starter sounds strong. Hot starts are 100 %.
_________________
1987 Westfalia 2.1 WBX Manual

[MarkWard]

Assuming all connections are good, it sounds like a sticking solenoid. Unfortunately they are not easily serviced. When the starter is hot, the solenoid might have better internal clearances from expansion and be more consistent. 2 years is a lifetime for a Bosch Reman. Didn’t used to be that way.
_________________
☮️

[eeebee]

There is a lockout in the automatic shifter (neutral safety switch).

Wiggling the shifter around will cause it to change modes. (starting or not starting).

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=409658
_________________
Eric

1987 Vanagon Wolfsburg Special Edition
GoWesty 2.3

Democracy is the recurrent suspicion that more than half of the people are right more than half of the time.