Make sure you have very good ground connections from the engine to
body and tranny to body.  Symptoms like you describe are often ground
problems.

- Laurence

----------------------------------------
 Laurence Smith
 Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
 90 Westy / 90 Subie 2.2
 87 GL / 91 Subie 2.2
----------------------------------------

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Vanagon Mailing List
> [mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM]On Behalf
> Of Alan Watts
> Sent: Monday, July 05, 2004 1:22 PM
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: funky electric
>
>
> hi all,
>
> I'm having electrical issues with my 85 Westy and I'm
> unsure if they are
> all related or if it is multiple problems.
>
> After replacing my spark plugs, rotor and cap, I began to
> have starter
> problems -- at first, it was a few clicks and clatters as
> it cranked, but
> it would start.  After a few days and some flawless
> starting, it slowly
> progressed to louder clickings and rougher starts to
> sometimes no starter
> activity at all (when this would happen, my tach would get
> wacky and flip
> around).  At the same time, when I was driving, both my
> alternator and OXS
> light would blink almost unnoticeably every 30 seconds or
> so.  Later on,
> when I turned my lights on, the whole electrical system
> would have lulls
> and spikes.  My temp light would erratically blink and
> sometimes at idle,
> my tach would undulate.  My battery reads strong voltage
> and my alternator
> is only a few months old.  I checked all battery and related wire
> connections, but still the same thing.  To me, it seems
> like a voltage
> regulator problem, but would it be involved in starting
> process?  Also,
> I'm not sure if it has any significance, but for the sake
> of complete
> disclosure, when I replaced the spark plugs, I had
> misconnected the cables
> in the wrong order and tried to start the van a couple of
> times before
> realizing the firing order was wrong.
>
> If anyone can provide any sort of insight, I would greatly
> appreciate it!
>
> thanks!
> Alan
>