Hi all.

This isn't for a stock Vanagon, but I figure it's worth mentioning
here. (it's Jetta engine powered)

After doing a bunch of work on my van, it wouldn't start. I'd had rare
random no starts not long after the swap was finished and had one
mysterious highway speed stall. Until today, I could not figure out
why the most likely cause of them was.

With my engine, the fuel pump and ECU relay are mounted "loose"
(actually they're packed pretty tight in a Vanagon junction box);
they're not mounted in relay blocks. While trouble shooting this no
start, with key turned to ign. on I heard a relay buzzing
intermittently. Since this relay was mounted "loose", I could wiggle
each relay wire til I found the culprit: a cracked solder joint at the
30 pin of my power relay. (supplies power to fuel injectors, ECU,
etc.)

Close up images of the cracked solder joint:

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-h3JODsFUDHM/URHsPfqBbZI/AAAAAAAAGy4/5DkyKweHpnc/s576/Jetta%2520Power%2520Supply%2520Relay%2520Solder%2520Crack.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-vmq-vUhQT4s/URHsPue73gI/AAAAAAAAGzA/cNsoAUx6cJw/s640/Jetta%2520Power%2520Supply%2520Relay%2520Solder%2520Crack%25202.jpg

I don't know if any WBX or air cooled engines have relays with printed
circuit boards, but if they do...

When diagnosing a no start, if one pulled a relay part way out of it's
socket, then gently pushed-pulled on it, would this help determine if
there's a physical fault at a relay?

Maybe this technique (or similar) has been written of here already?

Neil.

--
Neil n

65 kb image Myford Ready For Assembly  http://tinyurl.com/64sx4rp

'88 Slate Blue Westy to be named.

'81 VanaJetta 2.0 "Jaco"  http://tubaneil.googlepages.com/

Vanagon VAG Gas I4/VR Swap Google Group:

http://groups.google.com/group/vanagons-with-vw-inline-4-cylinder-gas-engines