$475 for starter job?

[mzarifkar]

My starter intermittently will not engage and then eventually engage and start fine. I am worried one day this will leave me stranded. I have no garage and limited tools, but i could probably resolve both of those. I am fairly handy with this car.

How much of a pain is it to replace the starter?
Should I consider refurbing the starter?
Should I jsut bite the bullet and play it safe, let the indy do it for $475 all inclusive?

Thanks

Happy Weekend

[yaofeng]

http://www.bimmerboard.com/forums/posts/662694

Just did this two weeks ago. The 525i all of a sudden stopped cranking in the parking lot. If there is a better way to do it I'd like to know. I ended up removed the intake manifold to get access to the starter. Took me a good hour and a half each tearing into it and button it up. It is fairly straight forward unbolting and bolting up.

The starter itself is cheap. I have a spare in the garage but it is filled with so much junk I couldn't find it. Paid $20 for one from a junkyard plus $10 shipping. I had planned to cannibalize the SAAB 9000 starter I have to make it work on the 525i but gave up later. No time. Plus a used one is so cheap it is not worth it.

[whiskychaser]

My starter intermittently will not engage and then eventually engage and start fine. I am worried one day this will leave me stranded. I have no garage and limited tools, but i could probably resolve both of those. I am fairly handy with this car.

How much of a pain is it to replace the starter?
Should I consider refurbing the starter?
Should I jsut bite the bullet and play it safe, let the indy do it for $475 all inclusive?

Thanks

Happy Weekend

If the starter is shot dont bother trying to fix it. Depends on what you can buy the starter for if its worth doing yourself. If you do it yourself I would strongly recommend you remove the inlet manifold-so you need new gaskets-for 4 reasons:
1. You will have a job reaching the male torx bolt heads at the back of the bell housing if you dont
2. There are 3 bolts through the bell housing holding the starter in. On mine 2 have nuts on the end at the front.
3. There is a fourth bolt at the back end of the starter that goes into the side of the block
4. If you can reach items 1-3 from underneath, there is a lug on the bellhousing that goes through the flange on the starter. It seizes in and is a pig to shift. (So clean it with emery paper or something and apply a tiny amount of grease before you put the new one on)
Allowing time for a cig and a cup of tea you should get change out of a couple of hours

[yaofeng]

2. There are 3 bolts through the bell housing holding the starter in. On mine 2 have nuts on the end at the front.

Two bolts on the bell housing. The third one is a locating pin.

You'd wish there are torx wrenches avaiable like the hex. I don't know if there is such an animal on the market. The torx socket barely fits between the back of the bell housing and the fire wall. It is a PITA. But I did loosen the two torx bolts from the top.

[whiskychaser]

Two bolts on the bell housing. The third one is a locating pin.

You'd wish there are torx wrenches avaiable like the hex. I don't know if there is such an animal on the market. The torx socket barely fits between the back of the bell housing and the fire wall. It is a PITA. But I did loosen the two torx bolts from the top.

Mine has a total of 4 bolts plus the locating pin. But they differ with years. I use a 3/8 breaker bar - it cranks back less than 90 degrees. Once they are cracked I use 3/8 ratchet that cranks back as far as you like. I think we agree it would be a right PITA to do it from underneath. But I bet somebody comes back and says otherwise

[Ross]

Intermittant engagement is likely just the solenoid. The contacts get burned over time. When the resistance is too high the draw from the starter motor causes the voltage to drop enough for the solenoid to release.
I've not been inside this starter but on many(GM)you can remove the solenoid and clean the contacts inside.

[repenttokyo]

Intermittant engagement is likely just the solenoid. The contacts get burned over time. When the resistance is too high the draw from the starter motor causes the voltage to drop enough for the solenoid to release.
I've not been inside this starter but on many(GM)you can remove the solenoid and clean the contacts inside.

a lot of fords have a remote solenoid that is often a failure point as well.

[Omega]

Intermittant engagement is likely just the solenoid.

I've got this problem when it's hot. Heat soak into the solenoid. I just use a big stick to strike the solenoid which then frees it off enough to start. My e34 went on like this for 2+ years and the e39 has just started with it.

[mzarifkar]

It does seem to be more of a warm weather hot engine issue. So are the solenoid contacts consumables or just dirty and in need of a cleaning?