So, I kinda blew it...

I picked up a turbo 300d starter in the junk yard for 15 bucks and had it tested and it was good. I pulled mine out and just to see hooked it up to a good battery and with no load it wouldn't crank for but a few seconds.

I put the new(er) starter in, and I was also going to change the ground wire and the positive to battery. Now, I this is where I'm confused. One way I hook up the wires the starter will just crank and crank and the solenoid won't click on. If I hook it up the other way the car is dead, no electronics at all. Did I fry something electrical? Any help here? The way the I hook it up when the starter cranks forever is + battery to the post closest to the starter. I have the solenoid wire hooked up and if I short to that I can get it to crank the car over, but without glow plugs and not being plugged in I'm not to sure I should expect it to start. Any help would be great, thanks. Also if I'm too vague...just tell me to clarify.
-Nate

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'82 240D, 4-speed, 617 turbo engine

Yes, clarification would help. Connect battery + to top solenoid post. The bottom solenoid post is the switched + to the starter and the small wire goes to the post with the small grub screw.

If it is connected this way and it will not turn over with the ignition switch in start position, put a DC voltmeter at the solenoid small wire connection and see if it is getting voltage. If it is, then the solenoid is at fault. Don't forget to put the other wires on the top post with the positive cable connection.

Good luck,

Now you guys have me confused. I just changed out my '81 240D starter the other night (Quite pleased with myself ). I simply hooked the rebuilt one up the same way the old one was - works like a champ.

The car sat for over a year without running. The guy was younger and didn't have a lot of extra cash to have some diagnose the problem (I remember those days ). He put in new glow plugs, new GP relay, and bought a small Walmart battery thinking it was glow plugs and/or battery. I bought it knowing it didn't run but figured it was probably something not too serious (even if it was, the car was rust free originally from Florida). The price was right I put in a new Interstate battery, used a voltmeter to determine the plugs were getting power. It still turned over very slow. Thanks to this site I knew it was most likely a starter. Spent the better part of an evening doing the exchange, put everything all back together and turned the key.....she spun like a demon and fired right off. I was very happy. Been bragging to the wife ever since

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'85 300D - 206K (sold)
'81 240D - 149K (sold)
'03 Jetta TDI - (sold)
'79 300D - (sold)

yeah the solenoid screw is the obvious one. I was going to replace the + battery to starter and - battery to ground. I removed the + battery to starter cable when I had the starter out. I just forgot the wiring.

Since the solenoid one is obvious, so there are basically two cables on the starter, the + from battery and the switched +. I've hooked them up both ways. One way, with the + from battery to bottom post will make the starter crank 100% of the time. I ruled this out. So the other way is the switch to the bottom one and the +bat to the top post. This way, I get no electronics at all. So the cables aren't original 240, is it possible something is fried? If I short the starter it will crank and the solenoid will go. I've had the starter checked and it passed all the tests they could do on it. I hope this is clearer. Now that I'm sure on how to hook up the wires I can try other things now.
-Nate

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'82 240D, 4-speed, 617 turbo engine

When I did mine the other night, the starter that was in had 2 larger wires attached to the top post of the solenoid and a small wire that went to a little screw. I replicated the attachemnts - all seems to be functioning fine. Are you guys saying that the 2 larger wires I have shoud be attached to seperate points

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'85 300D - 206K (sold)
'81 240D - 149K (sold)
'03 Jetta TDI - (sold)
'79 300D - (sold)

I dunno, that's what I'm asking, is where do the big wires go. I'll try them both to the same place, I just saw two posts, thought 2 wires, one on each post. This is new to me, I have to be at work in 10 minutes, maybe I can drive the diesel.
-Nate

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'82 240D, 4-speed, 617 turbo engine

I checked my Hayes manual when I went home for lunch. It does not have the greatest pictures but it appears that what I have is correct. The 2 larger wires connect to the top post and the small wire goes to the little screw. I think the bottom post is where a large wire mesh lead comes out from the starter body and attaches to it (the bottom post)
I suspect there is a more technically correct term for what I just described

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'85 300D - 206K (sold)
'81 240D - 149K (sold)
'03 Jetta TDI - (sold)
'79 300D - (sold)

Sounds to me like you have it wired correct with both wires attached to the top solenoid post. NOTHING connects to the bottom solenoid post except the starter motor itself.

You need to use a DC voltmeter and make sure that there is voltage at the small wire to the solenoid when someone turns the key. If there is voltage there and voltage always at the top solenoid post, then you need a solenoid.

Good luck,

Cannonball - LarryBible is backing up what I said, so you simply assummed incorrectly (I've done that a few times ) that 2 wires and 2 posts meant 1 wire to each post.
Just put both your large wires to the top post and the little wire to the little screw and you should be good to go

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'85 300D - 206K (sold)
'81 240D - 149K (sold)
'03 Jetta TDI - (sold)
'79 300D - (sold)

yeah hooked it up right and it started first crank, wow... still smokes a lot though.

Thanks for showing me the right way, and thanks to whunter for giving it to me straight in that other thread.
-Nate

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'82 240D, 4-speed, 617 turbo engine