Hello,
My starting problems with my vanagon this time owe to a loose battery 
terminal connection.  I could not get it tight enough, however.  Here is what
a nice fix for it is:
take a wood screw and screw it in between the terminal and the connection.
Be sure not to use too long of a screw or your screw may go into your battery.
This hint came from Keith Sevastian, a wonderful (non-listed) volkswagen
guy.
Stuart Hutton (hutton@poly.oscs.montana.edu)
1982 diesel vanagon in COld!!! bozeman