I've been wrestling with my own cold start problem
on an '86 and have done the following:

   * replaced transmission to chassis ground cable
   * replaced the battery
   * replaced the starter
   * replaced the ground to battery cable
   * replaced plug wires
   * installed new plugs, cap and rotor

After a one day weather warmup I was able to start
it and have been able to if I start it every day.
However, I now cannot start my other '91 van which was
starting fine but it has sat for a week in
temperatures
less than freezing.  It responds about the '86.  The
only other "cure-all" that I've heard is to put some
kind of heater in the engine compartment and/or on
the battery.  I have yet to try this and will do so
when I'm back home.  You definately need to make sure
all of your connections are good.

One other thing I have yet to do is to install relay
between the hot wire and the starting side of the
starter so that you're using the switch to turn on
the relay only and not the start option.  I'll
probably
do that pretty soon as well.

Let us know how it goes for you.

Steven
'91 Camper
'96 Transporter
Londonderry, N.H.
--- moonwoodfreeze <moonwoodfreeze@NETZERO.NET> wrote:
> my 1986 vanagon isn't starting, the starter motor
> just clicks a little bit and stops. the connections
> are all green and cruddy. seeing that it's like 20
> degrees here tonight i won't be able to get
> underneath it properly til tomorrow. has anyone had
> a similar problem?
>
> thanks,
> joe
> 86 vanagon gl
>

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