How to re & re the starter

[edgewatertom]

Thanks Todd

 

[edgewatertom]

I'm following up for others that might need the same...
After spending about 15 minutes with the parts guy at the local VW dealer and not being able to verify that item 02A-911-491 was NOT a match for my car, and no others could be found, I asked him to order them as I needed to R&R my starter before the cold gets here. They showed up yesterday so this morning I go at it. Much to my happiness the original bolts came out without rounding the heads, must have been the penetrating fluid I put in there the last time. Anyway I figure since I have the new bolts I might as well use them. Good thing I didn't need them...they're about and inch shorter. My starter is stamped with 02A911023R. I don't know if the other part number bolts will work with this starter and I don't intend to find out.

 

[steve6]

FWIW, i r&r'd my alternator a few weeks ago.

the Serpentine belt should be the first to come off and the last to put back on.

trying to mount the tensioner with the belt aligned is a PITA. ask me how i know. otherwise a great learning experience.

this thread is about starter.

 

[mathanz]

My car has been increasingly slow in starting over the past month. I have moderate mechanical skills and did this starter clean and lube last night with no probs. I was a little disappointed this cold texas morning when my car took just as long to start. Could it still be the starter and I simply need a new one? Car has 297k and this might be the original starter. Would a CEL be on if my glow plugs were going out? The cable from the battery to the starter looks good. The battery is less than a year old; got it brand new at the dealer. Where to look next?

 

[Davegsm82]

mathanz: Could be that the main bearing in the nose of your starter is too worn. If so, then it's usually cheaper just to throw in a new starter, cost me £100 for a new one the other day when mine straight up died on me. Aint any remanufacturing places round here in the UK any more.

If you pull the starter, put a glove on that has good grip (rubberised) and pull on the drive gear until it's in the 'engaged' position. You shouldn't be able to move it left and right very much, only in and out. There's an oil seal on the sliding part of this gear, to service it properly you need to get some grease in there and replace the seal, that certainly made my last one spin the engine over much quicker.

Also double check the springs holding the carbon brushes in the back of the starter motor, if they are sticking or weak then the carbons won't make good contact and you will get a slow starter action. It's sometimes worth roughing up the commutator with some emery paper too.

Dave.

 

[VAG TDI]

I serviced the starter when I had my transmission out for a flywheel/clutch swap because it was making the whirring sound after startup. I disassembled the whole starter, cleaned in solvent, resurfaced the brushes and commutator, and lubed the planetary gears with MoS2 grease. It now works like brand new. It spins faster, sounds smooth and disengages properly. Highly recommended!

 

[Davegsm82]

...Also don't forget that the bush at the back of the motor (under the top-hat held on with 2 screws) needs a little grease occasionally.

 

[mathanz]

Thanks for the info Dave. Unfortunately that's beyond my skill level. I've been waiting for a reman starter to go on sale and just picked one up. Will be replacing it this weekend. Should be quick now that I've done it once.

 

[Dimitri16V]

I changed the brushes in my 398K miles starter
Took it apart completely and gave it a good cleaning too

It starts like a brand new now

 

[GIDDY_UP_GO]

Since this is a thread about starters I will ask the following question:

I have an 04 TDI Jetta with the BEW engine. The car had been sitting for a couple years due to an injector problem. I finally got the money saved up to address the injector issue and drove the car for a couple days no problem.

Then one day I started it up to move it outside the garage to wash it, then I one to start it again to pull it back into the garage and nothing! No clicking or even a remote hint of it wanting to start. Just dead.

I took a hammer and a punch and lightly tapped on the starter housing and turned the key, STARTED RIGHT UP!

Pulled the car into the garage, shut it off, waited about 10 minutes and the same thing all over again. It would only start after tapping the starter housing with a punch and a hammer.

Now someone thats smarter than me, please explain why and how this is taking place. I ordered a reman Bosch starter from Napa (Which I have been waiting for 3 days to show up!).

Just curious why if I tap on the starter housing it will work, but if not, its just dead?

 

[steve6]

Since this is a thread about starters I will ask the following question:
I have an 04 TDI Jetta with the BEW engine. The car had been sitting for a couple years due to an injector problem. I finally got the money saved up to address the injector issue and drove the car for a couple days no problem.
Then one day I started it up to move it outside the garage to wash it, then I one to start it again to pull it back into the garage and nothing! No clicking or even a remote hint of it wanting to start. Just dead.
I took a hammer and a punch and lightly tapped on the starter housing and turned the key, STARTED RIGHT UP!
Pulled the car into the garage, shut it off, waited about 10 minutes and the same thing all over again. It would only start after tapping the starter housing with a punch and a hammer.
Now someone thats smarter than me, please explain why and how this is taking place. I ordered a reman Bosch starter from Napa (Which I have been waiting for 3 days to show up!).
Just curious why if I tap on the starter housing it will work, but if not, its just dead?

A connection is not making good contact, when you tap it its engaging that connection... most likely this is the brushes, they are wear items and need great contact. I would order a brush kit and refresh the current starter with it (if its an original bosch) and be good for many more years. seller goldlion_autoelectrics on ebay is where I usually get my brush kits for these starters.

You could have just a bad connection elsewhere as well within the starter/solenoid, but a brush kit and clean up and it will most likely be good.

 

[pdq import repair]

The starter solenoid is hanging up either mechanically or electrically, or combo of both probably. when the solenoid engages it pushes the starter drive out to meet the flywheel and also connects the large terminals inside to engage the motor, hooking it directly to the battery in essence.

The solenoid is activated from the ignition switch signal on the positive side and grounded internally through the starter brushes and armature. Poor connection on the brushes can weaken the ground path, and internal friction from worn parts all work together to keep the solenoid from moving. You beating on the starter sends a shock wave that knocks the offending part into motion.

That is a common old timey "farmer's trick"as I call it that does work. The problem that arises is that if you hit it hard enough, and I have seen those starters that have been hit, you can break the permanent magnet in the starter. Bosch starters now come with a sticker that reads "Do not strike with a Hammer" I like to take those stickers off and affix them to more likely suspects like a laptop of even a desktop computer.

You can disassemble the starter and replace necessary parts as needed, but I prefer to get a reputable rebuild (Bosch) instead, or even a good used lower mile unit if economy is the issue. I trust used original over parts store remans.


Edit: typing at the same time I see Steve6. Good info put more concisely than me.

 

[deck60]

changed starter today

so I changed my starter today took me about 30-40 minutes was pretty easy I took my battery tray out and that seemed to make it easier

what i don't understand is to top bolt the trans housing and engine housing are both threaded so you have to fight threads twice what is with the threads in the transmission housing I drilled mine out so now the bolt slides to the main threaded housing went back in in 5 minutes

 

[csstevej]

Do you happen to have a Bosch p/n for the brush kit?

 

[lengolad]

+1 for the write-up! Very helpful. Fixed my sluggish, sounds-like-a-tormented-wildcat starter.



Don't know if this has been referenced here, but there's a helpful step-by-step disassembly of the starter itself at vwvortex:

https://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?2359900
For what it's worth!

 

[slfranke]

I just did a starter swap in my 2006 Golf. I accessed everything from the top with a couple different simple socket wrenches and extensions. Wasn't easy but I wouldn't say it was hard. I got a starter on Amazon for 89 bucks. I think it's a refurbished or 'imperfect' Bosch starter and it worked really well. I also have a Frostheater "in the way." I did have a helper so FYI, four hands is nice to have.

Just providing an example for anyone who might be hesitant.