RE: [T3] car wouldnt start...then did...then wouldnt...then did

["Erkson, Toby" <toby.erkson@intel.com>]

My first guess is an exposed wire that's shorting out on the body, thus the
intermittent problem.  Second would be a defective voltage regulator (they
make lovely scapegoats, don't they?) so testing it would be next (test
first!, replace only if necessary).

I would recommend you disconnect the battery and clean the battery terminals
then clean ALL of the fuse holders and the fuse ends, to remove any
corrosion.  Bad electrical connections cause strange problems, so this is
the cheapest and easiest First Problem Solver :)  I'm kinda at a loss
because it's happening intermittently; something is robbing the power when
you use another (switched?) power source (headlights, brakes).  I know if
you went into reverse and killed the car that would be an improper hookup of
the reverse switch and it's power source on the coil but your problem...?

When you did the carpet install, did you remove any wires?  Maybe a wire
isn't in it's crimp any more, the wire broke or got pulled from it's crimp
in its spade connector?

   Toby Erkson
   air_cooled_nut@pobox.com  <-- Please use this address for email
   '72 VW Squareback 1.6L bored and stroked to 2.0L, Berg five-speed
   '95 VW Jetta III GL 2.0L, P-Chipped, Jamex sport suspension
   Portland, Oregon, http://www.icbm.org/


>-----Original Message-----
>...
>Thinking everything was ok, I disconnected the jumper cables and told Katie

>to check the blinkers and lights and stuff as it was getting a little dim 
>out.  Blinkers didnt work.....the blinker arrow lights on the gas gauge
light 
>up, but dont blink and the blinker bulbs themselves on the fenders dont
light 
>up at all.  When she turned on the headlights the car immediuately died and

>once again would not even crank.  It was totally dead when the key was 
>turned.  
>
>So we jumped it again and tried the brakes.  Same thing happened.  The car 
>immediately died as soon as the  brakes were applied.  I took off the tail 
>light lenses and removed all the bulbs and jumped it again.  This time
there 
>was no effect when the brakes were applied...

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