There's another angle. Grounds and cables. A diesel vanagon with poor
grounds and inferior cables won't start dependable no matter how many
starters or batteries you put in it.
My 83 would fail to start at all kind of odd times, but a few minutes later
it would start right up--or not. On the advice I got from the diesel-vanagon
list, I went down and bought truck cable and installed them, cleaning the
ground attachments down by the oil pan with a scraper. I've had nary a
problem since.

Jim

On Mon, Mar 31, 2008 at 11:16 AM, Allan Streib <streib@cs.indiana.edu>
wrote:

> "Neil Crawford" <vidublu@GMAIL.COM> said:
> > Hi volks,
> >
> > I've got a battery that's overdue and for a couple weeks now the engine
> > has had a difficult time starting.  After a few tries, it'd be dead.
>  Thought
> > it was just the battery.  I'd boost with me Saab and it'd start right
> up.
> > Now, I don't think so.  Even with a boost she doesn't start.  Have heard
> a
> > single injector can prevent starting.  The PO said, and the evidence
> supports,
> > it's had the alternator rebuilt.  I think it may need a 'valve job'.
> >
> > Any ideas where I should begin to troubleshoot?
>
> Diesel starting problems are generally either related to fuel delivery,
> or insufficient compression.  The latter could be caused by leaking
> valves.  I don't know if the VW diesels require valve adjustment but if
> so, a "tight" valve could prevent starting.
>
> Bad glow plugs could also factor in, but if it's not too cold a diesel
> in good condition should eventually start without them.  Will take more
> cranking though.
>
> Fuel delivery problems could be the injectors or the injection pump.
> How long since the fuel filter was changed?
>
> I'd probably start with a compression test, then move on to the
> injection system if that looks OK.
>
> Allan
>