Sounds like a stuck solenoid.

If you have the coin, replace the starter. If not, carry a hammer and
bang on the solenoid while someone else turns the key. Works every time.

One weird thing. You shouldn't hear your fuel pump at all on the 1981.
It is triggered by a pair of contacts in the AFM that sense air intake.
If the pistons aren't sucking in air, the fuel pump doesn't run. So
somptin's up with your fuel system/relays.

Bringing ideas to life,
G. Matthew Bulley
Bulley-Hewlett
www.bulley-hewlett.com
AIM = IExplain4u
+1.919.658.1278
"Fax mentis incendium gloria culpum"

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM] On Behalf
Of ok artguy
Sent: Monday, November 11, 2002 2:35 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Broke down last night... engine heat killing the starter?

I used the bus ('81 Transporter) to haul my Ducati to Tulsa and back
this
weekend. Did about 200 miles at 70-80 mph with no problems and decent
gas
mileage. Got back into town last night, and happened to stall the thing
at a
stoplight about four blocks from the house. Turned the ignition to
restart,
and (of course) nothing happened. The battery was good, heard the fuel
pump
kick in, but absolutely no juice to the starter. After some kind souls
stopped to help me shove the thing up off the road, I crawled underneath
and
jiggled the wires around looking for a bad ground, but found nothing. I
called a neighbor and we towed the bus back to the house (didn't think
about
trying to push-start it 'til later). I let it sit for a half-hour or so
and
tried the starter again, of course it fired right up. What gives?
Anybody
else dealt with this one? It seems like it's probably something simple,
but
I'd like to start in the right place. TIA-

JJ
Oklahoma City

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