i think maybe my starter is sticking

was speeding around tonight and was listening closely to the engine. after starting the car warm and pulling off, i hear an extra whining noise that speeds and slows with the engine rpms. after driving for about a minute, it goes away. tonight was the first time i actually heard something 'retract' before the noise stopped. i now remember my mechanic saying when the car had the transaxle rebuilt that he had to lubricate the starter gear because it was sticking. what do i need to do to test/correct?

thanks, and happy holidays everyone-


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Adam Nitti
ajnitti@mindspring.com
www.adamnitti.com
'85 911 Carrera Coupe

Mine started doing the same thing to me when I wasn't driving it regularly. It went away with regular use. If this isn't the case with yours, it would be a good time to update to the high-torque gear reduction starter that is about half the weight and more reliable. Pelican I believe has one as do many others. Well worth it.

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Tyson Schmidt
72 911 cabriolet (964 bodywork)

well, i haven't been home much in the past several months, so i've only been able to drive the car every once in a while. i'll just keep driving and see what happens. the weather here right now is pretty cold, too; i wonder if that is contributing to the stickiness.

thanks.

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Adam Nitti
ajnitti@mindspring.com
www.adamnitti.com
'85 911 Carrera Coupe

Adam,

If you have ever had a motor or starter apart ... they aren't that difficult to clean-up and relubricate ... I do it (clean & lube with moly grease) every two or three years whether having problems or not. And, I keep a spare starter on hand for emergencies.

The 'Bendix mechanism' on these Bosch starters is subject to corrosion and high drag, so keeping them lubricated goes a long way towards trouble-free operation. I realize no mechanic is ever going to tell you to keep your starter clean and lubricated ... but it has worked on air-cooled VW's and Porsches for me ... for several decades!

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Warren Hall
1973 911S Targa

[This message has been edited by Early_S_Man (edited 12-27-2000).]

I know that sound! I will explain that later.
It is possible that you have a broken spring in the solenid that cannot exert enough force to retract the bendix gear or as mentioned above, it may just be maintenance.
A long time ago I had a 914-4 with the reverse problem. The solenoid did not want to engage. I built a switch box so I could flip a switch putting power to the solenoid, get beneath the car and hit the starter assembly with a mallet. It would turn over and fire up while I quickly got back into the car and flipped the switch off. One very cold day, I jumped back in the car but due to my thick gloves (north New Jersey with damaged heat exchangers-they were destroyed when I ran over a dear)I believe I did not turn the switch off as I thought. Within a mile I was at 70MPH on a highway wondering where is that turbocharger whine coming from? The answer came soon enough as the starter seized which in turn asked the flywheel to stop turning, which asked the wheels to stop turning. Thought you might find this confession amusing.

George Wroclawski

Double click - sorry.

George Wroclawski

[This message has been edited by machintek (edited 12-27-2000).]

thanks for the replies, everyone.

warren, i think i'm gonna pull the starter out if it continues and do the maintenance lube you suggested. will i have to take the starter completely apart? this will be the first time i have worked on a starter.

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Adam Nitti
ajnitti@mindspring.com www.adamnitti.com
'85 911 Carrera Coupe

[This message has been edited by adamnitti (edited 12-27-2000).]