Jim,

Sorry.  I was referring to John Muir's "How to Keep Your Volkswagen
Alive:  A Manual of Step by Step Procedures for the  Compleat
Idiot."  While it is intended for  air-cooled VW's through 1978, it has
lots which is relevant to newer ones, the starter problem fix being such
(on page 446 of the 16th edition).  I got mine from John Muir Publications,
P. O. Box 613, Santa Fe, NM 87504 some years ago.  It's also available from
Amazon.com now (cheaper, too).  According to Amazon, a new edition is about
to appear.  I found that even though I couldn't use a lot that was in it,
his whole approach to understanding and fixing VW's gave me a lot of
confidence to strike out on my own.

Charles

At 10:05 AM 6/14/01 -0400, JBowen7@aol.com wrote:
>Charles,
>
>Excuse my ignorance...what or who is Muir's?
>
>Jim
>
>In a message dated Thu, 14 Jun 2001 12:27:43 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
>Charles McGehee <chasm@elltel.net> writes:
>
><< Good grief.  But I'm not surprised.  I heard once that a VW dealer wanted
>$150 to put one in.  It was numbers like that, plus Muir's instructions,
>that convinced me to try it myself.  It wasn't really hard.  Good luck.
>
>Charles
>At 05:37 PM 6/13/01 -0400, you wrote:
> >Charles,
> >
> >I had a mechanic here quote me $60 for the Ford soleniod and $75 for misc
> >parts and labor!  Bunch of rip off artists....
> >
> >Jim
> >
> >
> >
> >In a message dated Tue, 12 Jun 2001  8:55:56 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
> >Charles McGehee <chasm@elltel.net> writes:
> >
> ><< JIm,
> >
> >Sounds like it does the same thing as the Ford solenoid -- and a lot
> >cheaper!.  I looked it up on BusDepot.com and they get $7.95 for it plus
> >shipping.   I paid, a few years ago, about $17 for the Ford solenoid (it's
> >not actually a Ford but a Borg-Warner) plus tax.
> >
> >Well, live and learn.  Andrew, are you listening?
> >
> >Charles
> >'85 Westy
> >
> >At 06:40 PM 6/12/01 -0400, JBowen7@aol.com wrote:
> > >Charles,
> > >
> > >It does automatically what I've been doing manually for months with a
> > >piece of coated wire...LOL: It routes power directly from the battery to
> > >the solenoid via the relay.
> > >
> > >There are four wires (one each; blue, red, black, yellow) that connect to
> > >the relay.  The wire that connects the ignition switch to the number 50
> > >terminal on the starter solenoid (the voltage drop culprit), is removed
> > >from the number 50 terminal and plugged into the the blue wire from the
> > >relay.  The red wire runs from the relay to the battery cable connection
> > >on the starter solenoid.  The black wire runs from the relay to the number
> > >50 terminal on the solenoid.  The yellow is a ground.  Clear as mud,
> right?
> > >
> > >It' great.  All I need to hot start my van now is enough energy to power
> > >the relay.  It's hot in Austin now and she's been starting fine since I
> > >installed this relay.
> > >
> > >Hope this helps.
> > >
> > >Jim Bowen
> > >'88 Wolfsburg
> > >'74 Super Beetle Sun Bug
> > >In a message dated Tue, 12 Jun 2001  2:54:05 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
> > >Charles McGehee <chasm@elltel.net> writes:
> > >
> > ><< Interesting, Jim.  How does it work?
> > >
> > >Charles
> > >'85 Westy
> > >
> > >At 01:21 PM 6/12/01 -0400, James Bowen wrote:
> > > >I'm surprised no one on the list has suggested the Bosch WR1 Low Voltage
> > > >Relay kit as a fix for your problem.   I've been suffering with the same
> > > >problem on my '88 Wolfsburg (Lola).  This past weekend I fitted this
> Bosch
> > > >relay to my Lola.  Voila!  She's fixed.  No more hot start
> problems.  Bus
> > > >Depot and Bus Boy both sell this kit.  Good Luck.
> > > >
> > > >Jim Bowen
> > > >'88 Wolfsburg
> > > >'74 Super Beetle Sun Bug
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >At 04:20 PM 6/11/01 -0500, Andrew Payton wrote:
> > > > >Well I don't know who read my the story about my trip to Florida &
> > all the
> > > > >problems I incurred with my Vanagon but it seems to have resurfaced.
> > > > >Originally I assumed it was the alternator but now I'm not really sure
> > > b/c I
> > > > >installed a new one only a few weeks ago, went ahead & put in a new
> > > starter
> > > > >too.
> > > > >
> > > > >Basically after driving for about 3.5hrs, Evansville to Frankfort, I
> > > pulled
> > > >up
> > > > >into my driveway & turned off the van b/c I had to run inside for
> > > something.
> > > > >When I came back outside, no more than 5min later, I turned the key to
> > > start
> > > > >my van & there was clearly power but the starter did absolutely
> > nothing -
> > > >the>key just kinda sat there.  So now I'm stumped & don't really know
> > > what to
> > > >look
> > > > >for next.  Please help me out if ya can.  Thanks.
> > > > >
> > > > >   Andrew Payton
> > > > >   Frankfort, KY
> > > > >   82 Vanagon L (Water-Cooled
> > >
> > >  >>
> >
> >  >>
>
>  >>