944 Starter = Blown Motor?

champ_168 · 01-25-2005, 03:16 AM

Hi, I am new to this forum. I recently aquired a NON-Turbo 944 from my Uncle. The car does not run. He Had a shop change the starter and Supposedly they put in the wrong starter or something. Basically the starter spun the motor the wrong direction and now it dont run. Another mechanic said that if the motor was started in the wrong direction the motor is toast and needs rebuilding...but i think he jsut wanted our money.

Im wondering how can a wrong starter be put in or even the right starter turn the wrong way?

Basically, all i know is a wrong starter was put in and spins teh opposite direction of the correct starter.

What i would like to know...what do I check for to see if the motor is toast? and or to test the starter?

How would i go about manually spinning the motor to see if it is seized?

Does anyone have a diagram of the starter and where it is located and how it is installed and removed?

I live in chicago, i dont have very much money, but if anyone would like to lend a hand it would be great.

Thanks

AznDrgn · 01-25-2005, 05:03 AM

Starter turning the motor the wrong way will not kill the motor or else you wouldn't be ale to turn a motor backwards. To see if the motor is seized turn it using the big bolt in the middle of the main crank pulley, I think it's a 23 or 24mm. Where did the opposite rotation starter come from? All the starters I know of that would turn the wrong direction would mount upside down and look funny mounted to the 944 and unless the mechanic was a complete idiot he would have noticed.

The starter is mounted on the bottom left hand side of the clutch bell housing pretty much right past the firewall if you are looking from the top of the side of the car. It's held in by two bolts and has two wires going to it. To get it out all you should need is a 17mm wrench, 17mm socket, and and adjustable wrench. Make sure you disconnect the battery before you do anything to the starter.

AznDrgn · 01-25-2005, 05:05 AM

oh yeah post the year of your car in your signature too since it'll become important later on should you have any other problems. And last but not least welcome to the world of Porsche's.

AFJuvat · 01-25-2005, 05:24 AM

Some aftermarket starters have been known to spin in the wrong direction.

Send me a PM, I have a couple of used factory starters.

AFJuvat

IceShark · 01-25-2005, 07:22 AM

I had this happen once before and know the story pretty well as I was pulling my hair out trying to figure out why the motor wouldn't fire up.

The engine should be just fine unless you also had a coincidence and have a broken or jumped teeth on the timing belt. Try push or pull starting the car and it should fire up.

As the starter problem was explained to me, that Bosch starter was used on many vehicles but our cars are (likely) the only ones that spin in the direction they do. Why? Because we have a transaxle and the starter inserts from the rear so it has to spin the opposite rotation than the "normal" starters.

It also takes a different pinion gear. I didn't think that part through but I wonder if you could mess up the starter ring gear if you run this wrong starter too long. I believe the ring gear is sort of expensive to get a new one.

SoCal Driver · SoCal Driver's Garage

Starters that run backwards!

Wires with no fuses!

Fuses with no wires!

Where will this madness end!!!!

larkstar · 01-30-2005, 05:49 PM

Supoose the starter did spin the engine the wrong way and it backfired, misfired or whatever so badly that it actually caused the timing belt to jump? Possible?

Britwrench · 01-30-2005, 07:52 PM

Not possible, I've seen a car with this problem and what happens is the engine will not start but "blows back" into the intake system. It didn't do any damage and the car push-started easily. Putting in the right starter solved that.

legion · 01-31-2005, 12:40 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by SoCal Driver
Starters that run backwards!

Wires with no fuses!

Fuses with no wires

Dogs and cats, living together...

Mass hysteria!

T86951 · 02-17-2005, 11:38 AM

I am pretty sure that there is an Audi starter that looks the same as the 944 starter but turns the opposite direction. I have a friend that is in the starter business and thats what he told me. I have no idea if that will hurt the engine though.