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Re: [T3] Rain BAD (2)


On 13 Feb 2003 at 0:35, Mark Healey wrote:

> After the incident described in Rain BAD (1) I decided to take my
> other car, a 71 auto FI.  It lives in a parking garage about a block
> away from me and had sat for about a month and a half.
> 
> When I went to start it it wouldn't.  I moved the shifter to some
> other position and back into neutral and it started right away.

This is the neutral safety switch, which is mounted just to the right of the AT 
shift lever. They often give trouble. The way to pin this down is to hold the 
key in the START position and then wiggle the shift lever. (Yes, this requires 
2 right arms.) 

> I went shopping and left it in some pretty heavy rain.  When I came
> out it wouldn't start.  I noticed massive leakage from the windshield
> and felt under the dash and there was watter dripping everywhere.
> Hell strange noises were coming from the speakers when the radio was
> supposedly off and the face plate removed.

You need to clean out your water drain hoses. If you don't, your body will rust 
from the inside out. It will also ruin your radio.

> I unscrewed the fuse block and tried to towel dry it and removed the
> radio.  Still no start.  I got a tow home (after waiting about an
> hour).  Just for shits and giggles I tried to start it again and it
> fired right up.
> 
> Several questions.
> 
> Do the people out there think that it was the water under the dash
> that prevented the second starting attempt?

No. Most likely these are completely unrelated.

> Might I have a dodgy (sorry for the anglicism but American doesn't
> have an analogous term) switch that is engaged when the car is in
> neutral and if so is there a convient place to short it to test it.

Yes, it's probably the movable switch contact. Just wiggle it to test.

> The windshield rubber looks and feels fine.  No visible drying and it
> feels plenty elastic.  Could it be that the PO simply didn't line
> things up correctly?  Or, is it just another case of aftermarket stuff
> not quite fitting right?

It's really hard to say. Plus 71 was the first year for the later windshield 
and retaining clips. I don't think any of the aftermarket seals will properly 
accommodate those.

-- 
Jim Adney
jadney@vwtype3.org
Madison, WI 53711-3054
USA


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