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Bay Kombi won't start when hot

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PurpleT3 Fahrvergnugen

880 posts · joined Apr 2003 ·

#435209
Recently we've been having a problem with the Kombi (75 2L bog stock). It will start fine, but when it's hot, say after a 15min drive, and you stop and then try and restart, the starter motor struggles and sounds like the battery is flat. If you leave it for around 30min and try again, it starts no problems.

To me this indicates a temperature related problem, but what is causing it. Any ideas?
Ain't nothin' like the wind in your hair.

Andy Andy\'s Adventures

2,820 posts · joined Nov 2002 ·

#435253
Yep as Hell bus says.
Check your leads first for breakages and bad connections at each end as their easy to do yourself.
Also be sure to check the power lead from the ignition switch to the relay on the starter, they are prone to suffer voltage drop.

If this does not help it's time to look at the starter itself (assuming the battery/charging is fine).
😉

Anthiron The Baja Rejuvenation Begins

4,936 posts · joined Oct 2003 ·

#435282
starter motor solinoid perhaps?
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Purple Martin Fahrvergnugen

913 posts · joined Feb 2003 ·

#435306
Sounds to me like a combination of two things:

1. The carb gets hot when you've been switched off for only 5 minutes, and so the fuel vapourises which stops it flowing... and you have to wait half an hour until the carb cools down again. I've heard of several ways people have attenmpted to fix this, everything from making aluminium heat-shields for the carb to wrapping the carb in a wet rag. I've also heard that a bad coil can mimick a vapour problem.

2. You say that "the starter motor struggles and sounds like the battery is flat"... I assume this means the starter turns the engine over in a slow & sluggish way? If so it could be caused by an old tired battery, and/or a bad connection between starter and battery (either the fat red wire, or any of the ground straps). But this is definately NOT a sypmtom of a bad solenoid: if the solenoid is working then the starter speed is not affected, if the solenoid is not working then you get NOTHING from the starter. A solenoid with dirty contacts can intermittently prevent the starter from turning, but again you get all-or-nothing.
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pod i`ve got to finish this thing one day

4,980 posts · joined Dec 2003 ·

#435422
am following this thread as had a similar problem a couple of times ,where the motor turns over very sluggish but wont start and mine is a efi caravelle and the battery is only 8 months old❓
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pod i`ve got to finish this thing one day

4,980 posts · joined Dec 2003 ·

#436758
happened again today ,was at home so investigated some things, charging at 13.5 volts ,starter felt very hot ,even tried jumper lead from batt to starter ,to get it started, jumped it from our holden,ran it a couple of mins then all was well,still very puzzling,🙁 🙁
meetings 1st sunday of the month
check wbsite for location
All Welcome
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and on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/FlatFour

pete wood 23 Windows of Awesome

6,828 posts · joined Jan 2004 ·

#436832
PurpleT3 wrote:Recently we've been having a problem with the Kombi (75 2L bog stock). It will start fine, but when it's hot, say after a 15min drive, and you stop and then try and restart, the starter motor struggles and sounds like the battery is flat. If you leave it for around 30min and try again, it starts no problems.

To me this indicates a temperature related problem, but what is causing it. Any ideas?
I had exactly this issue with my buggy. I ended up putting an extra battery cable from one of the starter mounting bolts to the -ve terminal on the battery. The starter never struggles now.

Cheap and cheerful :thumb



[ Edited on 9-12-2005 by pete wood ]
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h fractals - an ever changing lifestyle

7,671 posts · joined Feb 2005 ·

#436865
plus also the quality of fuel that you are using may contribute to the problem as well..
a suggestion if you are not already doing so..
use a higher octane fuel and run some flash lube with it..
cheers paul
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