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On 30 Jan 2002, at 22:40, Ginger D.&Peter P. wrote: > But what would happen if this happened while driving? I've never had the > car die once started. If it happens frequently enough at start, it may > occur under operating conditions too. Here's my guess: We know that the starter solenoid draws a lot of current. When you turn the key to START that current has to pass from the battery to the starter passing thru the bad connection at the VR. The connection is bad enough that the voltage drop that this creates puts the voltage available at the solenoid below that necessary to draw the solenoid in; so the starter doesn't come on. In normal driving, there is seldom that much current out of the battery, so this doesn't come up. It's also possible that the bad connection is on the battery side of the VR and this connection does not supply operating current when the car is running, it's only charging up the battery. You just need to examine the connections on your VR. Wiggle them and see if any are loose on the lugs. If they are loose they can be very carefully tightened up. BE CAREFUL! If you do this with the battery connected, there is danger of a short to ground that would make lots of sparks and hurt something. It's probably best to remove the battery ground strap first. - Jim Adney jadney@vwtype3.org Madison, WI 53711-3054 USA ------------------------------------------------------------------- Search old messages on the Web! Visit http://www.vwtype3.org/list/