Will Not start
Moderators: kamzcab86, CalAltaDubber
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- Posts: 245
- Joined: Wed Jun 30, 2010 12:03 pm
- What year is your cabby?: 1984
- Do you own a Cabriolet?: Yes
- Location: Avon Park, Fl
Will Not start
Ok, after sitting for about 9 years I got the Rabbit started about a week ago. Wednesday i tried to start it again. It would turn over but after a few turns it seemed to drain the battery (new battery) Could the starter be corroded and causing this or could it be the ground wire I have read about. Have not had a chance to really look at either part yet but hope to tomorrow.
Any help would be appreciated
Any help would be appreciated
84 Rabbit Convertible
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- Posts: 245
- Joined: Wed Jun 30, 2010 12:03 pm
- What year is your cabby?: 1984
- Do you own a Cabriolet?: Yes
- Location: Avon Park, Fl
Re: Will Not start
Wahoo, it started. Low battery and it would not start, charge the battery over night and it fires right up. I was correct the alternator is not working, time to hit the junk yard. Oh, WD-40 makes great starting fluid
84 Rabbit Convertible
- Briano1234
- Whats that smell?
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Re: Will Not start
Does your alternator light work in the instrument panel, that is turns red, or on, then goes out after you burp the engine above 1000 rpm, as if the light doesn't come on, then the alternator won't charge the battery.
The light is turned on and off by the blue exciter wire that runs off the back of the alternator.
The light is turned on and off by the blue exciter wire that runs off the back of the alternator.
Briano
Yes as matter of fact, I have the Luck o'the Irish...everything I touch turns to fertilizer of the bovine variety.
You can lead a user to a link, but you can't make him Click....
Yes as matter of fact, I have the Luck o'the Irish...everything I touch turns to fertilizer of the bovine variety.
You can lead a user to a link, but you can't make him Click....

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- Posts: 245
- Joined: Wed Jun 30, 2010 12:03 pm
- What year is your cabby?: 1984
- Do you own a Cabriolet?: Yes
- Location: Avon Park, Fl
Re: Will Not start
Thanks, i will have to look at that wire, No alternator light comes on. When i put a meter across the battery you can watch the voltage drop, especially if you turn the lights on. I will check the wire and light tonight.
Thanks
Thanks
84 Rabbit Convertible
- Briano1234
- Whats that smell?
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Re: Will Not start
If the alternator lamp doesn't work then the alternator is never being told that it can start charging.
The blue wire on the alternator is the exciter wire, that wire is used to not only illuminate the cluster on discharge of the battery, but it not coming on tells the alternator that it isn't working.
You have to have the blue wire working to get a charge out of the alternator.
Take your Alternator off and have it tested, I would suspect that it is good.
The blue wire on the alternator is the exciter wire, that wire is used to not only illuminate the cluster on discharge of the battery, but it not coming on tells the alternator that it isn't working.
You have to have the blue wire working to get a charge out of the alternator.
Take your Alternator off and have it tested, I would suspect that it is good.
Briano
Yes as matter of fact, I have the Luck o'the Irish...everything I touch turns to fertilizer of the bovine variety.
You can lead a user to a link, but you can't make him Click....
Yes as matter of fact, I have the Luck o'the Irish...everything I touch turns to fertilizer of the bovine variety.
You can lead a user to a link, but you can't make him Click....

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- Posts: 245
- Joined: Wed Jun 30, 2010 12:03 pm
- What year is your cabby?: 1984
- Do you own a Cabriolet?: Yes
- Location: Avon Park, Fl
Re: Will Not start
thanks Brian I will do that. Hopefully tomorrow it will not rain all day. went to the junk yard yesterday looking for parts. The 90 I had been using was gone and now they have an 82 convert. Damnit not many parts on it that I needed, but picked up some connectors that I needed.
84 Rabbit Convertible
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- Posts: 245
- Joined: Wed Jun 30, 2010 12:03 pm
- What year is your cabby?: 1984
- Do you own a Cabriolet?: Yes
- Location: Avon Park, Fl
Re: Will Not start
found the blue wire and hooked it up to a blue wire coming out of the harness piece that hooks to the batters and the battery light ond O2 light on the dash come on. Today getting the battery checked and if it is ok having the starter tested. It just barely turns over but the battery is charged. With luck today it will start again and I will be able to see if that fixed the alternator.
Thanks Brian for the help
Thanks Brian for the help
84 Rabbit Convertible
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- Posts: 245
- Joined: Wed Jun 30, 2010 12:03 pm
- What year is your cabby?: 1984
- Do you own a Cabriolet?: Yes
- Location: Avon Park, Fl
Re: Will Not start
Okey dokey, a quick trip to auto parts store and battery is good but starter is bad, new starter installed and fired right up. Battery light and oxygen swnsor light stay on. Measure voltage across battery and it reads 12.57 volts, turn lights on and drops to 12.48. Assuming I have the blue wire hooked up in the right place, looks like I will be getting an alternator
84 Rabbit Convertible
- Briano1234
- Whats that smell?
- Posts: 4105
- Joined: Mon Mar 21, 2005 5:45 am
- What year is your cabby?: 1992
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Re: Will Not start
On the firewall near the brake booster is a black box where the speedo cables connect to.
On that box is a white button, that you can push to reset the OX light. Have you reset it yet?
On that box is a white button, that you can push to reset the OX light. Have you reset it yet?
Briano
Yes as matter of fact, I have the Luck o'the Irish...everything I touch turns to fertilizer of the bovine variety.
You can lead a user to a link, but you can't make him Click....
Yes as matter of fact, I have the Luck o'the Irish...everything I touch turns to fertilizer of the bovine variety.
You can lead a user to a link, but you can't make him Click....

- kamzcab86
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Re: Will Not start
A) You must rev the engine after start-up to around 1600 rpm. Start the engine and blip the throttle; do the lights go out, or do they stay on?84Vert wrote:Okey dokey, a quick trip to auto parts store and battery is good but starter is bad, new starter installed and fired right up. Battery light and oxygen swnsor light stay on. Measure voltage across battery and it reads 12.57 volts, turn lights on and drops to 12.48. Assuming I have the blue wire hooked up in the right place, looks like I will be getting an alternator
http://www.cabby-info.com/gauges.htm#start-up
B) Relay the headlights and you won't see voltage drop at the battery.
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- Posts: 245
- Joined: Wed Jun 30, 2010 12:03 pm
- What year is your cabby?: 1984
- Do you own a Cabriolet?: Yes
- Location: Avon Park, Fl
Re: Will Not start
Thanks, yes I have revved it up and light stays on. I am going to take the alternator off and have it tested. The bad part about all of this is that the previous owner (a relative) was not afraid to snip and replace wires with what ever color was around and attach them to where ever he could make it work. For example the fuel bump runs from a switch under the dash, either on or off (don't ask how long it took to find that mod!) After checking the alternator, whether it is good or bad the next step is to get a wiring harness from the junk yard
84 Rabbit Convertible