Update on car not starting...(long!)

[Sal Guzzo <yu129742@YorkU.CA>]

Well,

As I already mentioned, I had the battery checked and it came back
negative.  I'm gonna have the battery checked one more time just so that I
can rule it out.  However, I made several tests today.

First, I checked for any electrical shorts.  How did I do this?  i
disconnected the negative wire from the negative terminal and I used a
light tester to connect the negative strap to the battery.  As it turned
out, the light remained off which leads me to conclude that there's no shorts.

Next, I checked the voltage of the battery with the vehicle not running. It
was at approximately 12.98 (I think) Great, so I tried starting the car
cold.  No problems, she fired right up.  I let her run for a bit, shut her
down and tried starting it again.  Nothing.  while the car is running, the
voltmeter inside the car is showing about 13v's.  Great, I think.  I must
add that I accidentally started the car without the alt connected and
measured the voltage at the battery and noticed that it was dropping.  WTF?
 I checked the alt and it was not connected.  Connected it and the voltage
went right back up.  I'm assuming that it was again charging.

Last test, with the car in neutral, I used a screwdriver to bridge the
positive lead with the ground on the solenoid.  Car wouldn't start.

What I mean that the car doesn't start is this.  If I start the car cold,
it'll start (most of the time).  I can drive the car for hours and it'll
run without a problem.  Shut down the car and it may catch.  The starter
turns, everything will die for a sec and then she'll fire right up.  If I
shut her done one last time, she won't fire up.  I had the timing set,
installed a new cam, replaced the distributor and put in new spark plugs.
Could it be that the timing is off?  I'm thinking of having the starter and
alt checked, but my dad already had the starter checked and everything
seemed fine.  When they check the starter they check the solenoid as well,
right?

TIA,

Sal
81 Scirocco 
81 Scirocco S (with all the goodies)
84 Rabbit (now Gti)
84 Scirocco Wolfsburg
67 Peugeot 404

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