Hot start relay installation help

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cheesehead
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Hot start relay installation help

Post by cheesehead » Tue Oct 23, 2012 6:32 am

Hi
Can someone please show me pictures of how they installed a start relay please. Did you mount the relay inside the engine on the firewall?
Thanks
Meg

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Mike Boell
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Re: Hot start relay installation help

Post by Mike Boell » Tue Oct 23, 2012 8:05 am

I don't have a picture of it but I place mine on the fire wall.
Mike
Mike Boell
1975 FI Westy
Oregon City

SOME PEOPLE ARE LIKE SLINKIES - NOT REALLY GOOD FOR ANYTHING BUT THEY BRING A SMILE TO YOUR FACE WHEN THEY'RE PUSHED DOWN THE STAIRS.

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poptop tom
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Re: Hot start relay installation help

Post by poptop tom » Tue Oct 23, 2012 9:18 am

Mr. Blotto wrote, "Boy - thanks for the offer, but a month in poptop tom's world means 5 years"

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Mike Boell
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Re: Hot start relay installation help

Post by Mike Boell » Tue Oct 23, 2012 10:49 am

That is precisely were I placed mine.
I bet I saw ratwell's picture at some point.
Mike
Mike Boell
1975 FI Westy
Oregon City

SOME PEOPLE ARE LIKE SLINKIES - NOT REALLY GOOD FOR ANYTHING BUT THEY BRING A SMILE TO YOUR FACE WHEN THEY'RE PUSHED DOWN THE STAIRS.

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cheesehead
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Re: Hot start relay installation help

Post by cheesehead » Tue Oct 23, 2012 1:58 pm

That is where I was thinking:)
I am sure this has been talked about but should I just replace the starter and solenoid? I have a solenoid what does it take to swap just that out? Because I have a new bosch solenoid I can use. I cleaned all the connections and put some dielectric grease to help also. Do I have to splice any wires to install this relay. If I do maybe I should just fix the issue instead of chopping wires. Hmmm

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Amskeptic
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Re: Hot start relay installation help

Post by Amskeptic » Tue Oct 23, 2012 4:35 pm

cheesehead wrote:That is where I was thinking:)
I am sure this has been talked about but should I just replace the starter and solenoid? I have a solenoid what does it take to swap just that out? Because I have a new bosch solenoid I can use. I cleaned all the connections and put some dielectric grease to help also. Do I have to splice any wires to install this relay. If I do maybe I should just fix the issue instead of chopping wires. Hmmm
If I had my $%@* scanner set up, I could post the prettiest diagram ever.
I placed my relay on the BobD next to the solenoid underneath, NO SPLICING ALLOWED.
Colin

Image
BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles

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drober23
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Re: Hot start relay installation help

Post by drober23 » Wed Oct 24, 2012 5:27 am

To answer the solenoid replacement question,

There are two screws that hold the solenoid to the starter. There is also the ground strap between them. Once these are removed, the solenoid comes off easily.

When I took mine off, the screws did not want to loosen, and I was afraid I would strip them. I applied some PB Blaster, and a little heat, and they came right out.

Pulling the starter is about 30 minutes the first time (if you don't know what you're doing), then 10 minutes the next time. Pulling the solenoid should only take a few minutes once the starter is out.

I'm in the same boat as you, wondering if a new solenoid will help. I just put my old one back for now. If you put in a new solenoid, let me know how it works.
DJ

'75 Westfalia, '79 Deluxe
(plus more busses than sense)

In a time of chimpanzees I was a monkey

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Mike Boell
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Re: Hot start relay installation help

Post by Mike Boell » Wed Oct 24, 2012 7:04 am

I don't remember cutting wires but I would need to look back to confirm. I think they are all spade connectors and a matter of doing some switching around taking the load off the long wire that runs all the way to the front of the bus and then back to the starter.
I was not having problems with anything in my system but it just made sense to me to take the amperage load off the key switch.?
Mike
Mike Boell
1975 FI Westy
Oregon City

SOME PEOPLE ARE LIKE SLINKIES - NOT REALLY GOOD FOR ANYTHING BUT THEY BRING A SMILE TO YOUR FACE WHEN THEY'RE PUSHED DOWN THE STAIRS.

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cheesehead
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Re: Hot start relay installation help

Post by cheesehead » Wed Oct 24, 2012 8:06 am

That picture helps a lot thanks. I may have a couple more questions when I get the relay before I install it.
Meg

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cheesehead
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Re: Hot start relay installation help

Post by cheesehead » Wed Oct 24, 2012 8:11 am

Also when I had all the connections to the solenoid off and cleaned ...when I put them back and tightened the nut the solenoid kind of turned very slightly. Is that something to worry about? Is there another bolt that might need to be tightened I just am not sure how they are connected but like DJ said there are two screws that connect them hmmmm. Also where is the ground between them? I should clean that too I guess.

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sped372
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Re: Hot start relay installation help

Post by sped372 » Wed Oct 24, 2012 8:15 am

Good Writeup Here:
http://www.wolfsburgwest.com/wired/wire ... _03_01.htm

"Stock" setup works like this, the ignition switch triggers the solenoid directly. All solenoid current must pass through the ignition switch.
Image

Adding the hot start relay works like this, the ignition switch triggers the relay. The current for the solenoid passes through the relay.
Image
1971 Karmann Ghia - 1600 DP
1984 Westfalia - 1.9 WBX

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Ryno
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Re: Hot start relay installation help

Post by Ryno » Wed Oct 24, 2012 1:28 pm

No cutting wires for the Wolfsburg West kit. Only a screw hole for the mount and another for the ground wire. The rest was plug and play for me.
Ryan

1985 Westfalia

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Amskeptic
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Re: Hot start relay installation help

Post by Amskeptic » Thu Oct 25, 2012 8:51 am

cheesehead wrote:Also when I tightened the nut the solenoid kind of turned very slightly. Is that something to worry about?
Also where is the ground between them? I should clean that too I guess.
Yes. The solenoid grounds through its mounting points! The screws musta been loose!

Drober did NOT mean to write that there was a GROUND strap between the solenoid and the stater motor!! It is a mucho Hot POSITIVE bigass cable 12 volts!! to the starter motor itself!!!

Great coffee here at Panera!!!!
Colin!!!!!!!
BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles

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sped372
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Re: Hot start relay installation help

Post by sped372 » Thu Oct 25, 2012 9:18 am

With NO FUSE!!!! Be careful WITH IT!!!
1971 Karmann Ghia - 1600 DP
1984 Westfalia - 1.9 WBX

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drober23
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Re: Hot start relay installation help

Post by drober23 » Fri Oct 26, 2012 8:34 am

Amskeptic wrote: Drober did NOT mean to write that there was a GROUND strap between the solenoid and the stater motor!! It is a mucho Hot POSITIVE bigass cable 12 volts!! to the starter motor itself!!!

That's what I meant! It looks like a groundstrap, but deep in the crevices of my brain I knew that it carries positive voltage to the starter! :-)
DJ

'75 Westfalia, '79 Deluxe
(plus more busses than sense)

In a time of chimpanzees I was a monkey

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