Starter Motor

[Beswad]

I've had two cars now both different make and I've had the misfortune of having to replace the starter motor at approximately 75,000 and 80,000 miles on the clock.

Can anyone explain why starter motor fail at a certain period of a car's age? What is the common fault and can it be repaired?

[NORMANTHEDOG]

any part on a car will need replacing after a certain number of yrs,75 to 80k,is about 6 yrs of normal motoring,so thats quite good under normal circumstances,parts just wear out,if you say start a car 5/6 times a day,thats 2000 times a year,12,000 in 6 yrs approx.

[Brooksy]

Typical urban use, ie relatively short journeys will wear out the starter about that mileage, if not before. They are not a practical or cost effective item for the average diy mechanic to recondition. An exchange unit is the accepted way.

[Disco Fever]

Just think of a starter motor, you sit next to a hot engine all day and only get used a couple of times in that day and when you are needed in the minus 10 temperature you are thrown against a gear wheel and expected to turn over a tight freezing cold engine.....


Just a thought....

[Hymie]

The most common reason for the failure of a starter motor is due to wear of the motors carbon brushes. Each time the starter motor operates, a small amount of the brush material is worn away by rotation against the motor commutator. So the life of the starter motor is largely determined by the total time of operation.

To maximise the starter motor�s life, release the ignition as soon as the engine starts � if your car requires the engine to turn over for extended periods before starting, this will significantly shorten the life of the starter motor.

It is possible to replace the brushes, and at one time it was common to be supplied with a refurbished unit, in exchange for your faulty starter (plus some money). In today�s �throwaway society� it is more profitable for a garage to supply and charge for a new starter motor.

Typically, the first sign that your starter motor brushes are on the way out is that the motor fails intermittently. A tip to get you going again, is to bash the starter motor (with a hammer), causing the brushes to make contact again � this trick will only work for a limited time, eventually no matter how hard you hit the starter motor, the brushes will not make contact with the commutator � and you will need to call out a rescue service, or bump start the car.