If the BlkWire that Marc spoke of has 12v then check that the 2 relays in the BlkBox above the

Coil are Switching ~ Have an assist' turn the Igni'Key while you ListenTo or Touch those relays ~

1 Powers the ECU & the other Powers the FuelPump ~ They are Cheap ~ All Vanagons should have

a Spare 1 or 2 of those OnBoard ~

        Also in regards to BadBatt' ~ I have had a Batt' with a ShortedCell so it still had the Ability to

Crank the Starter QuiteNicely but there was not EnoughJuice to make the ECU Happy ~

                                                                                        ORR ~ DeanB

On 25 Sep , 2015, at 7:20 AM, Marc Perdue wrote:

> If the van had alternator problems, i.e., the alternator died and the
> van ran till the battery ran out of juice, it could have killed the
> battery. Why not start at the beginning and see if the battery's good?
> 
> Marc
> 
> On Thu, Sep 24, 2015 at 11:33 PM, vw_van_fan_Mark <madvws@cox.net> wrote:
>> None of the grounds up under the dash have anything to do with whether
>> the van runs or not. There is a key-on power black wire that goes from
>> the dash area back to the engine compartment and that wire plays a
>> critical role.  On most vans the black wire goes to the ignition coil to
>> power it and to turn on the ECU power relay as well as enable the fuel
>> pump relay. So check for 12 volt power at the coil when key is on. Since
>> it is an 86 the exact wiring path can vary. But since this may have
>> started with work done on the alternator it would be wise to check for
>> constant power on that stud in the engine wiring box.  When you get back
>> to the van with a meter I'd be willing to help you check things out.
>> 
>> There is a wiring tool you build to bypass a lot of the known failure
>> areas that can keep a van from starting.
>> 
>> http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=349429&highlight=wiring+bypass
>> 
>> Mark
>> 
>> 
>> Cary Chiang wrote:
>>> 
>>> I'm trying to help a first-time vanagon owner get his van running.
>>> It's an '86, with 2.1L and manual trans.  I was told that the van was
>>> being
>>> driven almost daily, had some sort of alternator problem, and then failed
>>> to start one day.  A mechanic diagnosed that the spark plugs weren't
>>> firing, but a lack of money prevented any further work.  I noticed that
>>> the
>>> ignition switch was functioning poorly, and temporarily swapped in a good
>>> used one.  Next, I noticed that the fuel pump wasn't energizing when the
>>> ignition key was turned to the accessory position.  I ran power directly
>>> to
>>> the fuel pump to get it running, but the engine still won't start (I'm
>>> assuming because of no spark from the plugs).  I'm assuming that there
>>> is an electrical issue that is affecting both the fuel pump and the
>>> ignition system.
>>> I've cleaned up the two
>>> multi-pronged ground connections above the fuse block, and replaced the
>>> ECU, but am running out of easy ideas.  I plan to go back with a
>>> multi-meter, and check for voltage at the fuse block and at the terminal
>>> in
>>> the engine compartment black box.  Hopefully I will have access to a
>>> Bentley also, but my schematic-reading and Vanagon diagnosing skills are
>>> pretty rusty.  Any idieas and suggestions as to additional components,
>>> grounds, or
>>> voltages that I should check would be appreciated.  Thanks in advance!
>>> 
>>