A tale of starters

[mikec03]

I replaced my original starter on my 95 subaru last fall with a advanced auto rebuilt one. I did this under a mistaken understanding of a problem I was having at that time.

 

No problem over the winter with the rebuilt starter. But when summer arrieved, the starter started to fail occasionally. about once or twice a week. It would work after repeated tries sometimes taking as long as an hour. I checked the voltage to the solenoid and it was OK. I recognized this as a typical starter failure of which I have had a couple over 40 years.

 

So I went back to advanced auto and replaced the started at no charge. But I immediately had the same problem with the 2'nd rebuilt starter. I was reluctant to believe that I had a second defective starter. So I changed the female connection to the starter solenoid, thinking that there was corrosion inside of it that I couldn't see. But there was no improvement.

 

Finally, reluctantly, I went to the salvage yard and bought an old, non reconditioned subaru starter. This solved the problem. So when bloggers say that you can't trust these rebuilt starters--their right!

[GeneralDisorder]

It is very likely that all the starters are good and your crank circuit has a voltage drop in it somewhere. This is a common problem. The solution is to install a relay, powered by the original solenoid wire, that applies full battery voltage to the solenoid.

 

Look for your problem to return at some point. Basically you are probably seeing it work now due to differences in the solenoid spring's, and age of the components, etc. The old starter might just be "looser" and thus is taking less amps to push out the solenoid and engage.

 

GD

[mikec03]

"Not having sufficient amps" is a really good point. I have been only checking voltage. I noticed that the starter solenoid wire was 12 g and I wondered why?

If I have trouble again, Ill install a relay.

 

Thanks.

[GeneralDisorder]

Yeah - I've done probably half a dozen relay installs to various late 80's and early 90's Subaru's - it invariably cures the problem forever and I haven't had to replace a starter yet. The stock starters are very reliable - I have cleaned contacts in them and reassembled but I've never had to actually replace one.

 

You will read 12v to the solenoid wire in a test with a DMM, but once it tries to draw the amps needed to actually engage it then there is resistance in the ignition switch and in the harness that sucks all the punch out of the wire.

 

GD

[Cougar]

Whenever there is a starting problem it is a good thing to clean the battery connections as they are the most common source for starting troubles. Corrosion inside the cable is also another fairly common problem. The trouble you are having could also be due to a intermittent inhibit switch for the starter solenoid. If you are hearing a good click when you turn the key then the trouble may be with the wire connection to the battery. No click would mean the solenoid isn't getting power to it and the inhibit switch may be dirty or need adjustment. The wire to the solenoid doesn't need to be real large since it doesn't use much current. It is the starter lead that needs to carry the large current to the starter motor so it needs to be a large size cable.

[WoodsWagon]

Yeah - I've done probably half a dozen relay installs to various late 80's and early 90's Subaru's - it invariably cures the problem forever and I haven't had to replace a starter yet. The stock starters are very reliable - I have cleaned contacts in them and reassembled but I've never had to actually replace one.

 

You will read 12v to the solenoid wire in a test with a DMM, but once it tries to draw the amps needed to actually engage it then there is resistance in the ignition switch and in the harness that sucks all the punch out of the wire.

 

GD

 

Mabe it's the cold weather that causes hard and extended cranking around here with high amp draw, but I see lots of vaporized solenoid contacts. There's a spring on the big copper washer contact that preloads it against the two tab contacts while the plunger is bottomed out and holding the pinion forward. Once the washer and 2 tab contacts wear to about 1/3 of the original thickness, the spring and washer run out of travel and you don't get good contact. Replacing the two tab contacts and cleaning up the washer buys you another couple years of trouble free starts.

[GeneralDisorder]

Do you have a good source for just the contacts? I know Subaru does not sell them but other manufacturers like Toyota use similar starters and they sell contacts for theirs. I'm sure something is out there that will fit our Nippon starters it's just a matter of cross referenceing it and I haven't done it because I haven't run across many bad one's.

 

Must be the cold where you are. I haven't seen a bad starter - contacts or otherwise - in years.

 

GD

[Olnick]

My '95 Legacy has a Nippon Denso starter and I got new contacts from Subaru. I believe Toyota used the same unit, perhaps others too. Or try an auto-electric shop.

 

One suggestion--if possible remove your old contacts and take them with you. They come in at least 3 different configurations (I got lucky on the third try!)