one more thing to consider is the starter bush...if this is worn out, it presents similar symptoms to a flat battery....
Ok, Just done the tests. Contact spade terminal to external 12v source - starter engages, motor turns freely. Screwdriver to bridge nut and spade, starter engages, motor turns freely. Pulled ignition connector out and had a look, nothing untoward, maybe i can bypass the ignition wire to the starter and see if that is the culprit? any ideas?
So the starter/solenoid seems OK then. Will it start up though? you can run a length of cable from the ig sw to the starter as suggested....if this works the switch is at fault if you have the wiring diagram you should be able to trace the terminal....typically 15 but don't quote me on that
Just done that @vanorak and it did start to engage but not start. On second attempt I was back to just a solenoid click. So its not the ig cable. So battery seems ok as starter works when bridged. But not sure whether to change out or not. I can't think of anything else. I won't be *****ing beaten by this.
may seem daft, but try wedging a pry bar between the top of the starter and the chassis and levering it a bit..the idea being to try and keep the starter pinion level......there's a bushing in the gearbox casting that the starter pinion runs in when engaged....if this wears out (which they do over time) I've read that the armature can touch the field coils inside the unit and short when you turn it over......worth a try you could always remove the starter and have a visual check of the bush...five minutes of a job
Right I just bought a new battery and it fired up. Ffs. Hopefully it will do the same later, I will check again this eve. What a palava.
Chugging from cold, Choke pull down unit. DG engine, 1.9l waterboxer with pierburg 2E3 carburetor. The choke pull down unit lessens the amount of choke when the engine is revved, if it goes faulty then you are left with an engine that chugs from cold, you sometimes have to rev it really hard to clear it. Sometimes the engine will cut out as its getting too much choke and the engine is getting over fueled. Remedy is to replace the faulty choke pull down unit which can be identified by removing the air filter trunking from the carburetor, the choke pull down unit is the black plastic disc shaped object which is held in place by a small rawl pin, it has a vacuum pipe going to it. All petrol models. Poor starting. (Not diesels) Engine turns over slowly, if you don't catch it first time you've got no chance of starting it today. Battery, alternator and wiring all checks out good. Worn started bush. For some reason VW decided to have the starter motors with only one end of the armature located in a bearing, the other end is located in a bush in the bell housing. The bushes wear and disintegrate, this lets the armature of the motor cock over, stator now touches armature, excess friction hey presto one slow turning engine. Remedy is to fit new starter bush, trouble is they are a bit of a pain to do. On the good side they cost about 1GBP2004! Remove starter, pick out old bush with a screw driver, if its stuck fast use an expanding masonry bolt to grab it and pull it out. Press new bush into place. Note that these bushes are not phosphor bronze but something with a posh name! they need to be left to soak in engine oil for 24 hours prior to fitment to prime them. courtesy The Brickyard... not starting and poor starting aren't necessarily related....usual checks for fuel delivery and spark at the plugs.....
@vanorak thanks mate you've been a great help along with the others. I have read the wiki on brickyard and it's not quite that. Turn key, starter engages and turns for ages. No catch. maybe three or four times then it starts up. I will have to check sparks. I'm sure the fuel is there but will check that too.
http://www.volkszone.com/VZi/archive/index.php?t-792308.html process of elimination....valve clearances, spark, fuel, choke.... fuel and air filter?
