Had that problem when I bought my '85 Westy.  Cleaned all connections at
the Starter, replaced the ground strap between the chassis and the
transmission (and cleaned the attachment points), and cleaned the
battery ground (both ends).  Have not had the problem since (almost 2
years).

Mike C.

Ed wrote:
> I know that there is some debate out there concerning what causes the "hot start" problems on Vanagons and many other VWs as well. It seems the two major schools of thought are either too much old wiring that can't carry enough current to the solenoid, or old wiring in the starters themselves, a viewpoint espoused buy GoWesty in their article which might steer you to one of their hi-torque starters.
>
> I'm not looking for more opions on what you think causes the problem, but rather, if you had a problem starting you Vanagon only when hot, no click from the solenoid, what did you do and did it work? This might have entailed replacing the starter with a rebuilt, replacing with the new Hitachi, cleaning connections, or installing the so-called hot start relay. I'd like to know others' solutions and what worked, as I've got two Vanagons to experiment on, but, like most, need to save as much money as possible for the many other things that do or will need attention.
>
> Thanks,
> Ed
>