Starter questions

[Hachiroku $B%O%A%m%/(B]

Subaru Impreza 1993 manual.

Wouldn't start today. Had to tap the starter with a hammer,
after which it started fine. And then started without any
problems three more times during the day. Questions:

1. What exactly is it that tapping on a starter achieves?
2. Should I get a new starter ASAP or is it possible that it
won't do this any time soon?
3. OEM starter is ~ $300. Can justify it for an $1000 car.
What cheap(ish) non-OEM starter brands are good?

Thanks,

Dima

Now, I don't know a bunch about Subarus, but this is common on Toyotas,
and has been as far back as I can remember.

There are contacts in the starter that wear out. Usually all you have to
do is replace the contacts and go along for another 200,000 miles.

They cost about $12 from Toyota, which means they're probably $8 from
Subaru. You have to remove the starter to get to the contacts.

Maybe someone else will chime in, but I'm willing to bet that's the
trouble.

 

[DK]

Subaru Impreza 1993 manual.

Wouldn't start today. Had to tap the starter with a hammer,
after which it started fine. And then started without any
problems three more times during the day. Questions:

1. What exactly is it that tapping on a starter achieves?
2. Should I get a new starter ASAP or is it possible that it
won't do this any time soon?
3. OEM starter is ~ $300. Can justify it for an $1000 car.
What cheap(ish) non-OEM starter brands are good?

Thanks,

Dima

 

[clare]

Now, I don't know a bunch about Subarus, but this is common on Toyotas,
and has been as far back as I can remember.

There are contacts in the starter that wear out. Usually all you have to
do is replace the contacts and go along for another 200,000 miles.

They cost about $12 from Toyota, which means they're probably $8 from
Subaru. You have to remove the starter to get to the contacts.

Maybe someone else will chime in, but I'm willing to bet that's the
trouble.

And if Subaru doesn't stock them, the Toyota ones fit. Any good auto
electric shop should carry them (likely for $6-$8) Easy to replace
too. Just make sure you get them in 100% SQUARE so you get full
contact between the disk and both contact bolts.
Might want to check and replace brushes too. If they get worn and
stick the "pull-in" winding doesn't get grounded through the
brushes/armature and the solenoid doesn't pull in. The "hold in"
winding that grounds directly is not enough to pull the drive in.

 

[1 Lucky Texan]

Subaru Impreza 1993 manual.

Wouldn't start today. Had to tap the starter with a hammer,
after which it started fine.  And then started without any
problems three more times during the day. Questions:

1. What exactly is it that tapping on a starter achieves?
2. Should I get a new starter ASAP or is it possible that it
won't do this any time soon?
3. OEM starter is ~ $300. Can justify it for an $1000 car.
What cheap(ish) non-OEM starter brands are good?

Thanks,

Dima

You CAN rebuild the solenoid as suggested by others, but for a '93 I'd
probably put in a whole QUALITY rebuilt starter. Especially if you are
paying someone else to do the labor. Time to inspect the cable
terminals at that end too.

 

[Hachiroku $B%O%A%m%/(B]

Thanks to everyone who replied! Yes, the starter is going fast - failed
three times today. Tapping still works but this is no way to use a car...

I do not trust myself to do car work. Yes, it will be someone else,
most likely someone who changes $90/hr labour. So it comes down
to what will be less expensive, to rebuild or to replace outright.
Not sure.

What's QUALITY rebuilt starter? Quite a few brands show up
online but I feel I will need something that is stocked locally. I don't
think I can stand more than two more days of opening the hood and
tapping the damn thing every time I need to start a car.

Dima

Here's the instructions:

http://www.ehow.com/how_2246538_rebuild-starter.html

BTW, is Dima a man or woman's name (not that it makes a difference.
There's a woman down the street who can spin a wrench in circles around me...)

Here are starters rebuilt by Bosch and Denso, names you can trust. Your
starter very well could be a Denso:

http://www.drivewire.com/products/subaru-impreza/starter/375/

There are a couple of aftermarket companies that do rebuilts, and I wish I
could remember the name of one of them so I could tell you to STAY AWAY! I
worked in a CarQuest store, and they were the cheaper rebuilts, and the
manager of the store told the regional office NEVER to send any more
starters or alternators rebuilt by that company. They were horrid.
Something like a 60% failure rate.

 

[DK]

You CAN rebuild the solenoid as suggested by others, but for a '93 I'd
probably put in a whole QUALITY rebuilt starter. Especially if you are
paying someone else to do the labor. Time to inspect the cable
terminals at that end too.

Thanks to everyone who replied! Yes, the starter is going fast - failed
three times today. Tapping still works but this is no way to use a car...

I do not trust myself to do car work. Yes, it will be someone else,
most likely someone who changes $90/hr labour. So it comes down
to what will be less expensive, to rebuild or to replace outright.
Not sure.

What's QUALITY rebuilt starter? Quite a few brands show up
online but I feel I will need something that is stocked locally. I don't
think I can stand more than two more days of opening the hood and
tapping the damn thing every time I need to start a car.

Dima

 

[clare]

You CAN rebuild the solenoid as suggested by others, but for a '93 I'd
probably put in a whole QUALITY rebuilt starter. Especially if you are
paying someone else to do the labor. Time to inspect the cable
terminals at that end too.

A "quakity rebuild"?? Now THAT is an oxymoron!!!
If you find one, expect it to be several hundred dollars. They are
very easy to repair, at low cost. How the rebuilders manage to screw
up is beyond me, but the majority do not last.

 

[clare]

Here's the instructions:

http://www.ehow.com/how_2246538_rebuild-starter.html

BTW, is Dima a man or woman's name (not that it makes a difference.
There's a woman down the street who can spin a wrench in circles around me...)

Here are starters rebuilt by Bosch and Denso, names you can trust. Your
starter very well could be a Denso:

http://www.drivewire.com/products/subaru-impreza/starter/375/

There are a couple of aftermarket companies that do rebuilts, and I wish I
could remember the name of one of them so I could tell you to STAY AWAY! I
worked in a CarQuest store, and they were the cheaper rebuilts, and the
manager of the store told the regional office NEVER to send any more
starters or alternators rebuilt by that company. They were horrid.
Something like a 60% failure rate.

IF you can get Denso you might have a good one. Nipon Denso makes the
Soob starters.
Bosch? Up here in Canada they are near the bottom of the pile, along
with Champion.

 

[Hachiroku $B%O%A%m%/(B]

IF you can get Denso you might have a good one. Nipon Denso makes the
Soob starters.
Bosch? Up here in Canada they are near the bottom of the pile, along
with Champion.

Wow. Really? Bosch is supposed to be a quality supplier!

Then, they do supply VW, don't they?

Luckily, since I drive mostly Toyotas, I get Denso everything...

 

[clare]

Wow. Really? Bosch is supposed to be a quality supplier!

Then, they do supply VW, don't they?

Luckily, since I drive mostly Toyotas, I get Denso everything...

Bosch OEM is one thing - replacement totally another. Bosch platinum
plugs, in my opinion, are very expensive JUNK. Their rebuilt stuff?
It's just a name to sell crap.

 

[DK]

Bosch OEM is one thing - replacement totally another. Bosch platinum
plugs, in my opinion, are very expensive JUNK. Their rebuilt stuff?
It's just a name to sell crap.

Well, it's over, starter installed. Grand total is $168:

The starter itself, $118 at CarQuest, a rebuilt Mitsubishi/OEM by
"CarQuest brand" (whatever it means). I could only do better online
for $104 of some other "brand" but then it would involve a hassle with
"core" shipping and waiting about a week for the part to arrive.
Returning an old part locally is much easier. The installation was $50
from a guy working out of his garage and advertizing on Craigslist.
He was the only one of the "Craigslist" guys who sounded intelligent
over the phone.

All of the "conventional" small shops around here quoted $100-110
labor charge for starter install if I bring the part. (So it seems that
some books says it's a one hour job on this car).

One shop that I called that only agreed to install "their" part quoted
me $341 total ($205 the part, no initial mention that it is a rebuilt one)
and the rest is labor.

I don't even know where I derive more satisfaction: from saving
anywhere between $50 and $150 or from not paying to those who
overcharge for their services. The work I watched was nowhere
near one hour. In fact, in and out it was a little less than 30 min
and invoilved the mechanic showing and explaining what he was
doing.

Dima

 

[Hachiroku $B%O%A%m%/(B]

Well, it's over, starter installed. Grand total is $168:

The starter itself, $118 at CarQuest, a rebuilt Mitsubishi/OEM by
"CarQuest brand" (whatever it means).

That's probably a CardOne rebuild. Those are OK. The other brand was
something like Wesley or something like that, and the were total crap.
All I really remember is it began with a W. Stay away from those.

I put a CarQuest rebuilt rack and pinion ($89, since I was an employee) in
an '85 Celica GTS and had no trouble for 40,000 miles, and then I gave the
car away.

I also rebuilt the alternator with the same parts CarQuest uses, and it
went 40,000 no problem.

You should be in good shape. Who installed it?