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Old July 23rd 05, 08:14 AM
Tobin Fricke
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Default 92 GTI starter/solenoid problem

I have a 1992 automatic GTI which has the famous hot-start problem: when
the engine is hot, it will not start. There is no noise except the faint
hum of the fuel pump (?). Once the engine cools down (was 15-30 minutes
in the winter; now 1-2 hours in the summer--but probably the problem is
getting worse too) it starts fine. Presumably this is because the
solenoid gets hot, its resistance increases, and the terminal 50 voltage
is then insufficient to engage it.

Impatient with this, I cut the ignition cable that goes to to the starter
("Terminal 50") and have been starting the car by touching the end of this
wire to the positive battery terminal (only ~4 times), in lieu of putting
in a relay that will accomplish the same thing. However, I just tried
this most recently, and nothing at all is happening, including no arc when
I touch the terminal 50 cable (going to the starter(solenoid)) to the
battery, as if it were an open circuit. Could the solenoid finally have
fried?

thanks,
Tobin Fricke
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