Hey - re. the no start, no click, no dim, no dead battery syncro saga...
It started happening to me this winter too - 5 times since December in fact.

First time - on the ramp at the U-haul garage after trailer wiring harness
install. Thought the guy killed the battery. Jump start & everything was
fine, but thought later that there was no way the battery was dead after
what he did in 15 minutes... hmmm...

Second time - winter day in the driveway - got my little electric jumper
cart,
hooked up the cables, but the AC cord was too short to reach the
house...Damn!
Before searching for an extension cord, I tried to start it again - vrooom!

Third time - spring, parking garage. Went around and tapped and wiggled
and touched everything I thought I touched last time - no luck. Tried to
push
the van uphill out of the spot - moved it a few inches before giving up -
then
tried the starter again - vrooom!

Fourth time - two weeks ago, Home Depot. Tried everything I did before -
tapping, wiggling, rolling, chanting - no luck. I got underneath and banged
on
the starter - remembering that trick from the list - with a 4-lb
sledgehammer.
I cursed, kicked and writhed. No luck. Finally the space in front of me
freed-up and I had a parking space -> aisle -> parking space -> curb runway
to
roll start in. Not enough speed though, and the wheel just chirped a little.

But guess what? It started right up with the key after that.

Last time - this past weekend in the driveway. Did e-v-e-r-y-t-h-I-n-g from
the previous instances with absolutely no success. I pushed it out into the
street and roll-started it.

And now I always park facing downhill.

So... any other advice, clues or wisdom from my fellow Vanagon sufferers????

Doug Fitz-Randolph
Freeport, ME
'90 Syncro