Automatic Car... How to solve a problem

[ats at longcoeur.com (Patrick Bureau)]

So yesterday, a frantic young 22 year old that borrow my wife's car for a
trip to Tulsa Oklahoma is calling me... " the car will not starrrrrrrt "
So after chatting with her, she tries it one more time and luckily enough it
does turn over and start , telling her to not turn it off until she gets
back to her place, which she does and her trip finishes without a problem.

This morning... Put key in car... Nothing... Ni click, got lights and power
, 12.5v on the battery, but refuses to crank over, so I dolly its lazy arse
back to the farm, I stop by AutoZone that identified the battery after using
their gismo tester machine that load it, that the battery has more than
likely a bad cell... So the battery is marked 4 years ago, cant hurt, slap a
new battery in... Turn key... Nothing... 

So I grab the Bentley and test the ignition switch, well after the 4 simple
continuity test they tell me to do, conclusion.. Its not the ignition switch
the problem..

So.. Since the "start my car systems" are simple.. And by using deduction, I
decided to go to the last obvious location to check, the starter... Easy
enough to check if it is itself or the solenoid still good (because anyone
that has an automatic KNOWS they are a bitch to take off and change!). Find
the starter harness, and VW has a nice little connection right there.. Wire
it to the battery... And the engine starts cranking at proper speed.
Conclusion # 3.. The starter is still good.

My fear getting worse by the minute I run the fact in my head, the battery,
the switch the starter.. Was else could it be but the WIRING.. Arrrrrgggggh
I scream... The gremlins have gotten possession of my cabriolet.....

This is the TIME for you guys still reading this epic story to realize when
all else fails in your step by step home troubleshooting.. Have a beer.. And
if smoke... Time to light up... Sit by the side of the car... And think....
Why do I do this to myself... Why get .. Such an old car with all the usual
problems they all get... And always at one point to become wiring
gremlins..... 

<insert pause as my VW local mechanic drops buy to give me back a borrow
fuel pump he needed to trouble shoot a client's of his cabriolet...>

Jaime! Have a beer.... Thanks Pat, so what the problem with the cabby he
asks...<insert explanation written above>

He smile and goes, do you have some wire and a 40a relay... Sure I reply and
fetch the stuff...

Sipping my bear he builds a Starter solenoid relay, as he explains (and
people that have already done they euro light with relays will understand
this bit) The wiring is too old and the starter tries to draw too much
amperage on the skinny wire leading to and front the ignition switch,
usually the switch dies first (and I promptly tell him that the PO had just
changed it a few weeks ago),... So he built a relay, connected for power
directly to the battery, and used the ignition wire, and patched the relay
wires to it.. Fixed a little bracket with it.... And were done in 20 mins.

He smiles... There all fixed..... No more problems, being skeptical, I pause
and have another beer and a smoke...(watching someone fix your car is
tiresome buisiness yanno?) He chuckles and looks at me.. So you aint going
to start her up.....?

I reach for the key... And "Half-Pint, as my wife calls it" turns right over
and starts...

Cost.. Humm 6 beers... 1 hr of troubleshooting and 15 mins of making a relay
for the starter.

It WAS a good day in Dallas today....

-
ATS - Patrick Bureau - http://ats.longcoeur.com - 
A1 eBay Sales: http://tinyurl.com/22e5b
'85 3A/JH 2L Scirocco | '86 8v Restore Project (in progress) 
'82 1.7L project |'81 S Project | '78 GTi 8v Project