Faulty Starter (i Think)

[Bijan]

STARTING A COUPLE OF WEEK THE STARTER IS ACTING WEIRED. SOME TIMES IT WOULDN'T START ON THE FIRST TRY AND AS THE DAYS HAVE PASSED IT HAS GRADUALY GOTTEN WORSE. THIS MORNING IT TOOK 10 TRYS BEFORE IT STARTED AND THIS AFTERNOON 12.

WHEN I TURN THE IGNITION THERE ISN'T ANY NOISE, UNTIL IT STARTS AND THE CAR TURNS ON.

TOMORROW I AM GOING TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT AND PROBABLY PUT A NEW STARTER IN. THE QUESTION IS DO THESE STARTERS GO OUT THIS FAST (94 325 WITH 145000 MILES). MY 88 E30 HAS OVER 250000 MILES AND STILL HAS THE ORIGINAL STARTER.

[Dave at Pelican Parts]

My first step, when I have starter problems, is always to clean up the battery terminals. I bought a "battery terminal brush" (a two-part wire brush) at my Friendly Local Auto Parts Store (FLAPS) a while back for just a few bucks.

I remove the ground strap from the (-) battery terminal and use the brush on the outside of the terminal and the inside of the clamp. Then I remove the "hot" wires from the (+) battery terminal, and similarly clean up the terminal and the clamp. Then I re-connect the (+) terminal, and finally the (-) terminal. (The (-) terminal is always the first one you disconnect and the last one you reconnect. This greatly reduces your risk of sparks and shock.)

This process has cured several odd starting problems, and it only cost me a couple of bucks and 5-10 minutes of time. Plus the time I had to spend re-programming my radio pre-sets and setting the clock.

--DD

[Bijan]

Thank you Dave for the suggestion I will definetly try that first thing in the morning. Do you have any idea about wipers stopping in the middle of the wind shield when I turn them off in a 88 e30. they work fine just don't stop all the way in the bottom of the screen.

[Jeron]

I once had starter with a bad solenoid. It would not even attempt to start sometimes if it just happened to be rotated to the dead spot in the solenoid. At least that was how it was described to me.

I never had success after trying to start it repeatedly.

Doing the battery check like Dave said is certainly the easiest first thing to try and its good preventative maintenance anyway.