[Vwdiesel] '93 EV DSL - more bizarre goings-on

[David Cook]

Sounds to me like you need a priest!  LOL

Sorry I can't offer any advice really, though the
relay theory (making noises and then causing starter
problems) seems plausable, depending on what the
noises sounded like.

David

--- rOLf peCHUkas <rbp at 4u2bu.org> wrote:

> so a couple of days ago on startup I heard very
> clattery 
> trashcan/lawnmower type sounds
> shut down immediately
> decided to gamble, tried again - normal startup and
> running sounds
> shrugged it off, made a mental note to email the
> group, headed down the 
> road
> 
> next time I heard this was that same day while
> driving (@ 20 MPH) - 
> heard belt squealing, RPM indicator dropped (but
> just the instrument - 
> engine stayed running at same speed), heard clattery
> sounds again - 
> alternator? water pump? maybe gnashing sounds were
> water pump starting 
> to fail and alternator was getting bogged down
> running off that same 
> pulley?
> 
> also had an incident of runaway engine in this same
> period - shut down 
> engine, but engine kept clattering away for maybe 20
> sec - actually got 
> out, was about to pull the fuel shutoff when engine
> quit
> 
> all of this leading up to today:
> morning drive @ 10 miles, shut down, took my son
> biking
> got a call @ 15 mins into the ride (from my son's
> mom) - my car's 
> trying to drive itself
> apparently the starter was somehow getting juice
> (key was in ignition 
> but ignition off) and vehicle was lurching forward
> had her take it out of gear and disconnect the fuel
> shutoff, turned 
> around and headed back
> in the time it took me to get back, engine
> apparently started itself, 
> made " a whole bunch of different noises I wouldn't
> even know how to 
> begin to describe", and shut itself down again, but
> still mysterious 
> "running" sounds from the engine bay
> 
> when I got back to the vehicle, starter was still
> turning over 
> continuously, smoking (!), but solenoid wasn't
> engaging anymore
> obviously a burnt out starter, for starters
> I disconnected the main battery cable, which finally
> killed the beast
> 
> let it cool down briefly
> 
> reconnected battery cable - starter still
> occasionally trying to kick 
> on (key not even in the ignition at this point)
> 
> turned key to try to start up
> starter turned, but solenoid not engaging
> 
> I did recently rebuild starter, packing all bearings
> w/ grease
> so maybe there's some hope starter is not entirely
> toast
> 
> 
> so: what is this:
> faulty starter relay?
> I did just replace the ignition switch a couple
> months ago, so unless 
> that switch was defective, that's not the problem
> 
> any relation between the starter, the (water pump?)
> and the alternator 
> symptoms ??
> 
> let me ask you this: could a water pump be
> intermittently noisy - i.e. 
> gnashing one moment and normal the next?
> I thought their failure was more continuous...
> 
> could an alternator be making gnashing sounds?
> 
> or maybe it was the starter relay trying putting
> juice to the starter 
> in the middle of a drive that gave me the gnashing
> sounds/runaway 
> symptoms?
> 
> 
> 
> gonna get this baby towed home, remove the starter,
> see what it looks 
> like, try to find starter relay (any hints much
> appreciated), maybe 
> bypass it, see if I can sort any of this out
> 
> any bits and pieces of experience, guesswork welcome
> 
> 
> thanks
> 
> Rolf
> Bewildered Again, Cape Cod, MA
> 
> 
> Rolf
> Cambridge, MA
> 
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> 


David Cook
Red '86 Cabriolet Diesel Powered
Red '90 g60 Corrado 
Brown and White '78 Westy Campmobile "Bear"
and others in various states of disrepair
Pictures here: community.webshots.com/user/superdave5599

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