Re: How to connect starter

[Robert Taylor <rtaylor@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> I have a 73 westy that I just installed a new rebuilt starter. How do
> you connect it up? I thought that all the eye loop connections including
> the battery go to the ignition post. That is how I connected it, but now
> when connected to power, it starts right away without the key. My
> question is, do any of the eye loop connections go to the post(the other
> post with a nut) that connects the solenoid to starter?  Please advise
> because now I am starting to think that the starter is malfunctioning.

Connections to the other post with a nut? No. There should be a heavy
braided wire already connecting that one to the central terminal, as you
received the unit out of the box.

I think your starter is probably fine and certainly not haunted. Sounds
like you have connected  the ignition wire to power somehow. A couple of
ways this could happen.

Figure out where your ignition wire is (the one coming from the ignition
switch). It probably comes out of a wire bundle coming from forward, above
the starter. Thins wire. Originally it probably had a female spadefoot
connector on it. If this wire is in fact connected to the big bolt
connector in the center of the starter (I take this to be the "ignition
post" you refer to)., then it is hot all the time and your bus will start
every time you connect the battery. This is the symptom you describe. It's
confusing, because about 6 or so wires with eye loop connections go on
there. I think these all go to other circuits that have nothing to do with
the starter. But it's important that they are connected to power there.

Do you have a starter circuit relay in place? This is a very common
and desirable after market addition to solve the "hot starter won't start
problem. If so, you will fine the ignition lead does not go to the
starter, but instead goes (perhaps via another spadefoot connection and a
short extension wire) top a barrel shaped relay with three terminals
located somewhere near the battery in the engine compartment. One terminal
is hot and has a wire running to the battery. The other one runs to the
ignition spadefoot connector on your starter. This wire is hot when the
relay closes. The other connection is where the ignition wire goes. I
can't quite imagine how one might hook these up wrong so that the
starter ignition connector sees power all the time, but you should check
these out to be sure. If you somehow had a "hot all the time" wire from
the battery to the ignition spadefoot connector on the starter, this would
also produce your symptom.

Good luck with the starter. The wiring is complicated enough to be
confusing. I did it wrong once or twice too before I got it figured out.
If you check out all these things and are 100% certain the ignition wire
goes where it's supposed to, only then consider replacing the starter
itself. Only if that too fails, will you need an exorcist with lots of VW
experience. :-)

Drive safely,
Surfer Bob
1978 Westfalia, the surf/luvbus