DDK - Die Deutschen Klassiker

I have a strange electrical component that I have no idea what it is. Can anyone identify what it is and what does it actually do?

the part i am referring to is the red item with an earth connection and two white wires.

It connects to the starter so is some sort of boost for the starter??

any ideas please.







david

Is it a relay to asssist with the firing of the starter solonoid? Sometimes the current from the ignition switch isn't enough to get the solonoid to throw across enough to make a good contact, and activate the starter motor. The cure is to get the iginition switch to activate the an additional relay, this in turn activates the starter solonoid (another relay), which activates the starter motor, which activates the engine .

Otherwise I can only assume it is an early prototype of a government road pricing tracking device ....

looks like a relay of some sort. Either as a security (?) interruptor to stop the starter kicking in, or perhaps to assist the switch, so that the switch operates the relay, which switches the current to pull in the starter solenoid. It is not quite clear in the picture where the two white wires go, One comes from the big +ve post (from the battery) and the other looks to come from the starter solenoid connection. I figure the perhaps the yellow wire used to go direct onto the starter solenoid connector and goes live when cranking....
Got a 914 circuit diagram ?
Tim

cheers Barry the bast??rds get into everything !!! that will teach me for having a free road tax car!!

david

is this not something to do with HOT start some VW motors suffered from this sort of thing and places sold some add on..

just my 2 pence worth..

I'm with 912uk, it's a hot start relay.

I thought hot start issues were solved by fuel enrichment

912uk wrote:is this not something to do with HOT start ..

By shortening the wire length from the +12V post to the solenoid, you'd give the starter best chance to kick in. Yes, I'd say it would assist the hot start.

Tim

I had a hot start issue with the 912E and that is a type 4 motor with a Porsche stamp... So when I looked into all this why it would not start.. I kept finding things on hot start and this addtional relay would solve the problem..

anyway I droped the engine out once to sort any oil leaks etc and I cleaned up the contacts with emory paper to the starter motor only as it was easy to get to.. and it solved it.. it never did it again.. as far as I am aware Justin who owned it next never had any problems with it either so if you do have this problem clean contacts first.....

912uk wrote:... 912E and that is a type 4 motor with a Porsche stamp...

...A type 4 engine with Porsche heads

yep and from memory the 2.0tlr heads are the sort after ones..
I stupidly sold a VW type 4 camper van engine for £60 mind you it was 1999

Voltage drop relay as Barry said. VW's do suffer a bit with this having the engine and ignition switch so far apart. Every Beetle, Type 2 and even my T25 has one of these, it takes all the load off the switch and makes starting a lot more reliable. There is a standard kit for the fourteen made by Bosch, part number WR1, they call it the Low Voltage Relay.

Looks a bit of an ancient relay on your car.

912uk wrote:yep and from memory the 2.0tlr heads are the sort after ones..
I stupidly sold a VW type 4 camper van engine for £60 mind you it was 1999

its only the 2.0L 914 or 912e heads that are sought after, the bus ones are just boggo standard, so you are not 'totally' stupid for selling you bus engine for £60.

Having said that the 2.0L Porsche designed heads are more fragile and prone to cracking around the spark plug to valve seat area. I think the 1.7/1.8 are at a premium these days because you can machine them easier for performance mods.

Yes I know the 2.0 ltr bus ones are not the same the valve size is bigger on the Porsche ones..

but can I find a 2.0 type 4 for £60 now..

and combustion chamber shape, plug location, inlet and exhaust port shape