You shouldn't need a starter relay.
The Bosch solenoid is very good precision part.
It can normally be cleaned, lightly oil the plunger and re installed.
The exception is a faulty electromagnet (never seen one).
I cleaned the solenoid on my 83 Westy and ran it another 10 years.
The battery on my Porsche is just as far away from the starter as a Vanagon
and has higher compression and the same Bosch / Starter / Solenoid works
fine after 27 years.
--------------------
The solenoid kit is a half ass fix that you shouldn't need.

Stan Wilder
----- Original Message -----
From: "Mad and Ed" <MadEd@GTE.NET>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Sunday, June 27, 2004 4:05 PM
Subject: Re: What is a Hard Start Relay Kit? Who sells them?

> Not to drag this out..but...
>
> The original system was not robust.  It used a long length of barely
> adequate wire with open crimp terminals, not exactly aircraft quality.
> The voltage drop can and does go below 9v.  These all go for many years
> until corrosion, gremlins cause trouble.  Adding the relay IS a
> sensible alternate to going through re-terminating all the connections,
> pulling a new wire and winding up with something subject to the same
> failure.  Once it is done you can take comfort in knowing at least that
> circuit is reliable; starter problems are probably in the starter.  In
> the unlikely event of relay failure  you can still go if you jump the
> relay terminals.   I'm done.
>
> On Friday, Jun 25, 2004, at 11:04 US/Pacific, Jack wrote:
>
> > Hooray!!!  Someone speaking up with some common sense.
> >
> > Bottom line:  If the starter solenoid isn't working as designed, find
> > what's
> > wrong & fix it!  Adding a relay is patching a problem. This is your
> > conscience speaking ;-)
>
> Edward Lowe
> Seattle, WA
> 82 Westy Diesel upgraded to 1.9lt. Turbo
> 85 Golf Diesel 1.6lt NA
> 92 Cabrio 1.8lt gas
> 97 Passat Tdi