Very interesting.  Did you find out why?

Larry A.

On Mon, Feb 17, 2014 at 12:17 PM, Craig Cowan <phishman068@gmail.com> wrote:

> The 2 carats and one 7 passenger GL I've seen do it did not have
> fridges.....
>
>
> -Craig
>
>
>
> On Mon, Feb 17, 2014 at 11:23 AM, Miguel Pacheco <mundopacheco@gmail.com
> >wrote:
>
> > Craig, I believe that starter no-disengage issue was on vans equipped
> with
> > the refrigerator relay under the driver's seat. I believe it was Dennis
> > Haynes or Mark Drillock who schooled me on the solution, although this
> > happened to my manual transmission van. It was as simple as moving a
> ground
> > on that relay, although I forget the details. It did solve that issue
> > though.
> > Good call on the grounds. A bad transmission to chassis ground will
> > definitely prevent the starter from engaging.
> > As far as that automatic transmission neutral safety switch, I need to
> > check that out. I have an auto, but have never had any trouble with it.
> >
> > Miguel
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > On Mon, Feb 17, 2014 at 6:51 AM, Craig Cowan <phishman068@gmail.com
> >wrote:
> >
> >> A few things I have learned from having exactly the same problem on a
> few
> >> late model automatic vans....
> >> It's probably your grounds! Clean the ground at the batter terminal and
> >> where the ground strap attaches to the body, and add a new thick ground
> >> strap from the starter nut to the frame.
> >> Check and clean your neutral safety switch, in an automatic all the
> power
> >> strangely has to go through a little switch in the shift column known to
> >> fail.
> >> Lastly, a hard start relay kit is a good move, unless you have a 90/91
> >> model automatic van with cruise control. For whatever reason those, you
> >> can't install a relay kit in ( it won't disengage the starter, last I
> heard
> >> jay brown was looking into it but still hadn't figured it out).
> >>
> >> I do not proactively replace ignition switches, as I find the bulk of
> >> those available today to have a very high failure rate.
> >>
> >> -craig
> >>
> >> > On Feb 17, 2014, at 7:31 AM, Larry Alofs <lalofs@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
> >> >
> >> > It takes significant current to activate the starter solenoid,
> >> especially
> >> > as it ages.  This is rough on the contacts in the ignition switch.
> >> > Replacing the switch and cleaning or replacing the starter and/or
> >> solenoid
> >> > may solve the problem.  Regardless, the system is under-engineered and
> >> > failure prone.  Many more modern vehicles (including Eurovans from VW)
> >> use
> >> > a relay between the switch and the solenoid.
> >> >  Some of our on-line vendors sell a "hard start relay" kit to address
> >> this
> >> > problem on Vanagons.
> >> >
> >> > Larry A.
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >> On Sun, Feb 16, 2014 at 9:23 AM, David <okdavid5555@cox.net> wrote:
> >> >>
> >> >> Thank you, list members, for all the advice about my quirky starter.
> >> Looks
> >> >> like replacing the ignition switch is my first priority, and then
> maybe
> >> >> repair or replace the starter.  I appreciate all the suggestions and
> >> help
> >> >> very much!
> >> >>
> >> >> David S.
> >> >> Oklahoma City
> >> >>
> >> >> -----Original Message-----
> >> >> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On
> >> Behalf Of
> >> >> David
> >> >> Sent: Saturday, February 15, 2014 3:20 PM
> >> >> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> >> >> Subject: Starting system quirk - diagnosis help needed
> >> >>
> >> >> Hello Vanagon listers.  I've been a list member for quite a while,
> but
> >> have
> >> >> contributed infrequently, only when I think I might be able to
> >> actually add
> >> >> something worthwhile to a discussion. I've never asked a question
> >> about my
> >> >> own Vanagon, but now I'd appreciate some help.
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> I've got a stock '91 Carat, automatic trans, with 145K miles (60K put
> >> on by
> >> >> me). I've experienced this issue a number of times over the past six
> >> months
> >> >> or so, and it was never a problem until about a month ago when I
> >> thought it
> >> >> was going to strand me.
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> Here's the symptom: When turning the ignition key to the "start"
> >> position,
> >> >> every once in a while, there is a very brief period of nothing
> >> happening,
> >> >> ranging from a split-second to maybe a half-second. Continuing to
> hold
> >> the
> >> >> key in the start position, the starter kicks in and the engine starts
> >> as
> >> >> normal.
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> I emphasize that this happens infrequently, and when it does, the
> >> period of
> >> >> time before the starter kicks in is usually almost imperceptible, but
> >> it's
> >> >> enough of a delay that you're aware of it happening. There does not
> >> appear
> >> >> to be a correlation between outside air temp or whether the engine is
> >> warm
> >> >> or cold.
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> About a month ago, when I was 100 miles from home, I turned the key
> to
> >> the
> >> >> start position and nothing happened. Nothing. The usual dash warning
> >> lights
> >> >> lit up when the switch passed through the "run" position, and when in
> >> the
> >> >> start position, nothing happened. There was no dimming of the warning
> >> >> lights; no sound (like a click, for instance) at all. No indication
> >> that a
> >> >> load was being placed on the electrical system. The no-sound and
> >> >> no-light-dimming seemed very odd to me. I repeated the
> >> >> turn-off-try-to-start-again sequence several times, which yielded no
> >> >> change.
> >> >> Then I got the idea that maybe the neutral safety switch was the
> >> problem,
> >> >> so
> >> >> I moved the gear selector from "P" to "N" and tried again - several
> >> times -
> >> >> with the same result. I even rapidly moved the gear selector back and
> >> forth
> >> >> from "P" to "1" several times, thinking I would "clear" or shake
> loose
> >> (?)
> >> >> the contact mechanism. This resulted in no change when trying to
> start
> >> in
> >> >> either "P" and "N."
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> Frustrated, I got out of the van and walked around it in dismay. I
> even
> >> >> looked on the ground under the engine - as if I'd find some part had
> >> >> dropped
> >> >> on the ground or was hanging loose (isn't looking at and underneath
> the
> >> >> engine what we're "supposed to do" when something's wrong? J  )
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> After about 10 minutes of being thoroughly upset and confused, I
> >> crawled
> >> >> back in the driver's seat figuring I was going to have to call a
> >> wrecker. I
> >> >> decided to give it one last try before grabbing the cell phone, and
> to
> >> my
> >> >> amazement, it started right up, without any perceived delay.
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> It has started perfectly since then, however, the infrequent, very
> >> brief
> >> >> delay episodes have continued.
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> I would appreciate any advice on diagnosing where the problem may
> lay.
> >> >> Thank you.
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> David S.
> >> >>
> >> >> Oklahoma City
> >> >>
> >>
> >
> >
>