I just wanted to thank everyone for their thoughts. I have this shop just
outside of Bloomingburg NY that is going to look at the van.

I tried the linking of the two red wires with no success. Maybe the starter
solenoid is the real issue. I can't be sure.

All I know it that before that mechanic was messing with she started every
time.

I am going to order the parts this week and have it sent to the shop and let
them work on while I am at work in Brooklyn.

If they do good work I will let you all know.

Thanks again!

Robert
-- 
Rob
NYC/Long Beach, NY
88 Wolfsburg, Silver
http://web.mac.com/rmstewart
AIM: rmstewart@mac.com

on 2/4/07 8:54 PM, Michael Diehr at md03@XOCHI.COM wrote:

> Hi Robert,
> I had similar problems : kept having to re-adjust my neutral switch
> to get it to start.  Eventually, no amount of adjustment would help,
> and in the end it turned out that the real problem was a worn-out
> starter solenoid.  The neutral switch was just a side-issue.
> Consider doing the "hot start relay" fix, and/or replacing your
> starter or starter solenoid altogether...
> 
> On Feb 4, 2007, at 3:28 PM, robertmstewart wrote:
> 
>> Doug,
>> 
>> Thanks for the reply. I must have something else wrong because I
>> did exactly
>> what you said it still do dot work. I tried it in park.
>> 
>> I really, really appreciate you getting back to me. I am not sure
>> why I did
>> not receive the p-mail you sent though.
>> 
>> Anyway, thanks again.
>> 
>> Robert
>> 
>> 
>> on 2/4/07 5:41 PM, Doug at vanagons@cox.net wrote:
>> 
>>> Rob,
>>> I've responded several times (p-mail) on your problem, but I don't
>>> see how you
>>> could have received them. Just disconnect the 2 big red wires,
>>> plug them
>>> together, and wrap electrical tape over the splice! Just be aware
>>> of which
>>> gear your shift selector is in before you turn the key!
>>> BTW, New York needs updating! :-)
>>> Doug in Rival CT
>>> 
>>> 
>>> robertmstewart wrote:
>>>> 
>>>> Status Update:
>>>> 4:30pm Sunday
>>>> I attempted to do what the person from FLA suggested but it did
>>>> not work. If
>>>> I new more on how the wiring worked I would have tried to bypass
>>>> the entire
>>>> system but my knowledge is weak in these areas. So I am leaving
>>>> my van in
>>>> update NY and will try a shop called Benko Motors, a self
>>>> proclaimed vw
>>>> specialist in Middletown. Hopefully they can make a house call
>>>> and try to
>>>> fix her.
>>>> 
>>>> If anyone ever has a suggestions on a solution let me know.  If
>>>> not I will
>>>> try and take care of it myself.
>>>> 
>>>> So now I am taking the bus back to NYC.
>>>> -------
>>>> 
>>>> on 2/4/07 11:44 AM, robertmstewart at robertmstewart@mac.com wrote:
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> Well,  Thanks to someone in Florida named Markus I got a basic
>>>>> answer to the
>>>>> situation:
>>>>> 
>>>>> Here was his reply in case anyone is interested:
>>>>> 
>>>>> I'm sure you could easily bypass the whole unit, it will just
>>>>> start in any
>>>>> gear and you will not have reverse lights. This could be
>>>>> achieved by some
>>>>> jumper wirer made out of a short wire and spade connectors IIRC.
>>>>> it'll get
>>>>> you going OR rule out the switch as the fault if there is
>>>>> another problem.
>>>>> 
>>>>> I took mine apart and did some solder work to it to get it back
>>>>> functioning
>>>>> correctly:
>>>>> 
>>>>> http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?
>>>>> t=191526&highlight=reverse+li
>>>>> ght
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> This thread gave me push to get off my lazy ass and get my
>>>>> reverse lights
>>>>> working again. Mine were intermittent, you you could see that
>>>>> wiggling the
>>>>> shifter would make them flicker. I took it apart tonight, the
>>>>> "slider" found
>>>>> on the shifter itself was pretty much past its prime, the top
>>>>> section of it
>>>>> actually wore a hole in it. Savvy cheapskate that I am, I broke
>>>>> out the
>>>>> soldering iron and soldered myself a new surface for it. shaped
>>>>> and filed it
>>>>> smooth, cleaned the contact points, sprayed all with a little
>>>>> corrosion X
>>>>> and good as new! I'd feel better with a new piece but I have a
>>>>> feeling its
>>>>> not gonna be an easy part to locate? This should hold up for
>>>>> awhile though,
>>>>> i'm very surprised there were not starting issues it was so
>>>>> chewed up. No I
>>>>> gotta replace a burned out bulb on the pass side though
>>>>> 
>>>>> Markus
>>>>> mdetro4660@aol.com
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> on 2/3/07 8:48 PM, robertmstewart at robertmstewart@mac.com wrote:
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Hello to all,
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Been a while since I posted anything on the site. I have been
>>>>>> super busy
>>>>>> with a new job in Brooklyn at a company called VICE.
>>>>>> (www.viceland.com
>>>>>> <http://www.viceland.com> )
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Anyway, my van has been great but I recently took it to be be
>>>>>> serviced for
>>>>>> some upper ball joints and replacement of the neutral/parking
>>>>>> switch in my
>>>>>> 88 Automatic and now it�s not working.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> The mechanic purchased the wrong year part for the Neutral/Park
>>>>>> Swtich, he
>>>>>> said and he put back the old one. At first when I picked up the
>>>>>> van it
>>>>>> would
>>>>>> not start, he had to put it in neutral to start it. I told him
>>>>>> that would
>>>>>> not suffice till the new part arrived. He fiddled with it,
>>>>>> adjusted the
>>>>>> unit
>>>>>> and got it start in park. I drove upstate on a 2 hour drive and
>>>>>> it was
>>>>>> fine.
>>>>>> I stopped for gas once turning the van off, and starting it
>>>>>> again but when
>>>>>> I
>>>>>> arrived to my destination in Bloomingburg NY and tried to start
>>>>>> it in the
>>>>>> morning to go snow tubing it would not start. All the dash
>>>>>> lights came on
>>>>>> but no start.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> I called the mechanic and he told me the contact from the
>>>>>> Automatic shifter
>>>>>> just had to be pushed against the Neutral/Park Switch. I tried
>>>>>> this several
>>>>>> times with no luck. Since I had the shifter hood off, I removed
>>>>>> the 4
>>>>>> connectors going into the neutral/park switch and lightly
>>>>>> sanded them to
>>>>>> clean them up, I also did this on the contact bridge and the
>>>>>> inside of the
>>>>>> neutral/park switch. I tried to start the van again, but no
>>>>>> luck, not in
>>>>>> park or neutral.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> The contact bridge does look a bit warn, looks like its warn on
>>>>>> the top and
>>>>>> angles outward toward the bottom. It has started reliably for a
>>>>>> year now
>>>>>> without a problem till this mechanic fiddled with it. Any ideas
>>>>>> for a short
>>>>>> term fix? Is this something I can get at an AutoZone type
>>>>>> place? Can I make
>>>>>> something from Tin-Foil or another substance?
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Can I easily remove this contact switch? If so how?
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> If I can�t figure out a temporary fix to get it back to
>>>>>> Brooklyn NY then I
>>>>>> will to leave it upstate and take the bus back to NYC.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Go the website link below to see the photo�s of the two items.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Thanks again to everyone for their ideas in advance.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Regards,
>>>>>> Robert
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>