Thread: starter motors constantly failing

The OEM Bosch ones as fitted to D1's seem to be the best bet, and usually they are protected by a heat shield that keeps them from cooking.

4 starter motor changes and not once did you find the root cause? May I never take a electrical problem to your Repairer !

Apparently a bad battery that still cranks well can damage the starter solenoid.

Are these all used starters? And do you have a crankhandle and starter dog on the engine? Because sometimes that can be better than nothing!

Originally Posted by 400HPONGAS

4 starter motor changes and not once did you find the root cause? May I never take a electrical problem to your Repairer !

Its the time thing, I'm only home 9 weeks in a year and when one goes I just get another one and replace it, the last one was new and fitted by Hoolies?(in Clarkson) and they even changed the positive lead as the other was brittle, but the others were s/h

I put an OEX reduction drive starter in mine when the original Lucas unit crapped itself. Very happy with it- cranks heaps quicker, starts easier and quicker, and draws less current. As to the failures, I would be checking your electrics. Have your previous starters sounded like they are struggling at all? If so, then you could have some voltage drop to your starter, which would be making it drag more current, which can cause premature failure. It's all well and good putting a new positive supply cable to your starter, but is the earth ok? I would run a new earth cable from the starter as well. As for heat, there is a heat shield on mine which I made sure I put back on - not sure if you have room if you have extractors on it, but I would be looking at making something up.

Cheers - Gav

I had extractors on my classic and never had starter problems. You're home only 9 weeks a year and having starter failures. Something else is the cause.

What are the symptoms?

Is the starter Bendix drive rusting up? Is it a solenoid problem?

When I am at work my wife drives it so its always on the go and rarely parked up.
As for the motors the original one was a very very short one and the last couple have been disco ones (at least two inches longer) and I have never taken a heat shield off, I thought it was odd originally so I wrapped the extractors in heat cloth, maybe when I had the headers put on there was no room and the shop took it off as it is very tight there.
Thank you every one for your help, I fly home on Tuesday and I will get it seen to then by a auto sparkie