About a month ago I was driving when the stereo on my 81 diesel vw rabbit pickup randomly turned off 2-3 times in my commute of 15 minutes. The starter on it kept cranking which hasn’t happened before, so in order for it to turn off i disconnected the battery. Problem solved in both situations. I figured I would need a starter but it all cranked fine and everything. Yesterday the stereo started doing the same thing but now the car died while I was driving. I coasted over to the side of the road. The car wouldn;t crank up again so i disconnected the battery again and it started up. I drove home to leave it there until i can get around to fixing it. Now my main question is to whether it is just the starter or if maybe it is the alternator, but I would think that the alternator is alright seeing how the battery is die-ing on me. Or could it just be faulty connections to the Battery.
Info - I was using the a/c(but not during the first time), and the truck is a manual tranny.
typo noted - the battery is not dying.
It sounds like you may have an internal problem with a battery cable. If they are old, I would suggest replacing both of them. I don’t recall what year they put the computer into the system, but in the 1976 model you could take the battery out of the car and it would still run.
If it is an electrical problem, then it may be the battery as well. Many auto shops will test you battery for free, so you might want to try that out, but to rule the battery out.
The circuit which energises the starter relay is shorted to another circuit. Of course, this isn’t ALL the time…it’s intermittent. By circuit, I mean the wires from one system to another.
The problem is, neither, the alternator, nor, the starter, nor, the battery. The problem is in the WIRES (circuits).
You need an automotive electrician to test and check the starter solenoid circuit.
Cool, I was actually leaning towards it being related to the Solenoid. I guess I’m off to get it tested to be sure. Thanks guys
I did NOT say it was in the starter solenoid. I said CIRCUIT. The circuit, which starts at the battery, goes to a fuse, to the ignition switch, through other switches, and, finally, to the starter solenoid is WIRE (and switches) carrying electric current. This wiring and switches are what need to be tested and checked.
Yeah, sorry, I got what you said, I just replied confusingly. I thought it might have been the solenoid prior to the discussion, but I am going to get the circuits and wires tested not the solenoid itself. Thanks again and sorry about the confusion.