Slow to start (kinda)

pira114 · Post by **pira114** » Tue May 27, 2008 11:42 pm

Anyone heard of this?

I turn the key. Dash lights come on strong, but car won't turn over for about 3 to 5 seconds. Nothing. Dead silence. Then, all of a sudden, starts strong.

It's weird. Takes longer to start when it's cold for some reason.

I was thinking either solinoid, or maybe just bad/loose wiring. I have just recently replaced the ignition switch.

Once it's running, it runs great. Once it starts to crank, cranks strong and starts quickly.

Any ideas?

pira114 · Post by **pira114** » Sun Jun 01, 2008 7:19 pm

No ideas? I've started slowly replacing the wiring, but have not isolated the problem yet.

If I do, I'll post it so others who might come across this will know, but so far I'm at a loss.

Post by **jmartini** » Mon Jun 02, 2008 3:09 am

I had a loose ground wire once that acted the same way, but if your problems started as soon as you replaced the ignition switch, than that could be the culprit.

pira114 · Post by **pira114** » Mon Jun 02, 2008 10:40 pm

You know, it did it before the ignition switch. That's really why I replaced the switch.

But get this, all of a sudden, problem gone. I think that kinda settles it, gotta be a loose wire. Probably a ground wire like you had. makes sense. Probably jostled it into good contact while driving around.

Thanks for the input.

volksbugusa · Post by **volksbugusa** » Sat Jul 12, 2008 4:08 pm

pira114
do you live on the east coast?

pira114 · Post by **pira114** » Sat Jul 12, 2008 6:29 pm

Nope. California.

I've been slowly replacing wires. Still does it. Can't figure it out.

volksbugusa · Post by **volksbugusa** » Sun Jul 13, 2008 6:05 am

pira114
Whenever you have the problems you are going thru you really have two ways to go.
#1 replace the harness- which is REALLY easy. Purchase a cd disc from BUG ME VIDEO
#Replace every contact end on the harness. If you have any contacts that have a green mold on them. That will be your problem. Green mold to brass is like rust to metal...they dont go well together. There are also contact cleaners the will also somewhat clean off the green mold.
Study the wire diagram for the 66 very very simple. Start from the fuse box back..Are there any current drains in your system? Are you removing the negative side of the battery in fear that there won't be any juice?

pira114 · Post by **pira114** » Sun Jul 13, 2008 6:37 pm

I've slowly started replacing corroded wiring all over the place. It's a slow process because I have limited time to work on it.

I've thought about replacing the harness, but I'm really not great with electrical stuff, so I thought one wire at a time would be better. Slower, but better for me.

I disconnect the whole battery whenever I work on wiring. I figure I can't destroy somthing in the process if I do it that way. Don't know if I would, but like I said, I'm not great with electrical stuff.

There's nothing aftermarket on my bug. So I don't think there is any drain, unless there is a short somewhere, but I figured I'd come across that while checking/replacing wiring.

elkluvadore · Post by **elkluvadore** » Thu Aug 14, 2008 9:50 pm

Make SURE all your grounds are taught... It'll fix many problems

empiracer1966 · Post by **empiracer1966** » Sat Aug 16, 2008 1:21 pm

pira114

I had the same problem on my '73 but with the addition of, eventually, it would not start at all...had me all confused...to make a long story short, it was just a loose connection at the starter...I say loose because I did look at it and it was not corroded and connected and all that, but the terminal (the "spade" type) on the wire end just needed a lil tune-up with a pair of plyers, to make a better connection. I have not had that problem ever since.

Hope this too is your problem, for it was an easy fix...after all the frustration

Brian

elkluvadore · Post by **elkluvadore** » Thu Jan 08, 2009 10:56 pm

Try tightening up your starter wires, then make sure your battery is full of water.

scruffy · Post by **scruffy** » Sun Jan 11, 2009 5:13 pm

Replace wiring harness,mine does the same thing ,on good days she'll start on other days i use my antitheft device.I connected a wire to my starter and brought it up thru my firewall and put a wire nut on it. So when I go to start it I turn the key on if nothing happens go to the back,remove my wire nut ,ground the wire,she spins 100 miles an hour starts, put my wire nut back on close the lid and away I go!And I like it that way.42-3 year old wires get brittle loose conductiveness [is that a word?] John Muir says add a ford solenoid to the mix and she will work fine and bypass the switch wiring.

Blue Baron · Post by **Blue Baron** » Mon Jan 19, 2009 10:44 am

Pira, more people have replaced their ignition switches for no good reason, losing their original key...

This is a very common problem that has been afflicting VWs from time immemorial. You need to install a hard start relay.

There's resistence in the electrical system that's causing a power drain so not enough amperage is getting to the starter solenoid to trigger it. You need to add an auxiliary solenoid to cut power directly from the battery to the starter solenoid (Instead of having the power travel from the battery to the regulator to the coil to the headlight switch to the ignition switch and then to the starter solenoid.) The auxiliary solenoid uses much less power than the starter solenoid, so the lower amperage will trigger it, cutting full battery power directly to the starter solenoid. The fix can easily be done with a common over-the-counter solenoid. (About $8 ) and a little rewiring. Gene Berg Enterprises also sells it as a complete kit (hard starting kit) that's easy to install and comes with complete instructions. (www.GeneBerg.com)

This will solve your problem forever. And I strongly advise everyone here to do the same to your cars, even if you've never experienced this problem, it's only a matter of time until you do. I've done the conversion on all our air-cooled VWs.

And put your old ignition switch back in and save your original key!

scruffy · Post by **scruffy** » Mon Jan 19, 2009 11:37 am

That's it,then you don't have to get out of the car to start it when it dies in a intersection.i really should do that some day!

Blue Baron · Post by **Blue Baron** » Mon Jan 19, 2009 11:52 am

If it dies at an intersection, Scruffy, then you have more problems than just the starter!