new starter - bad already ? - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

surfblau · #1 06-27-2002, 02:00 PM

I have only had my SDL about one month. Today it wouldn't start, until I turned the key and had the AAA guy tap on the starter with an iron rod. There didn't appear to be any loose wires and the battery is newish and fully charged.

His diagnosis - bad starter. He said that it was probably good for a couple of more starts in this manner before it was totally dead.

The starter was replaced less than 60 days ago by the guys I bought the car from, but that is 850 miles east of where I live.

It seems like the starter solenoid is sticking.

Short of trying to exercise a warranty on the starter from the garage that I bought it from (seems like a slow PITA), is there anything that I can do to fix/repair the starter, or are whole starters usually just changed out?

Any help would be appreciated since I kinda need two mobile cars this week.

thanks

#2 06-27-2002, 07:53 PM

I learned years ago that you want bosch rebuilds or new for a diesel starter. I had my starter on my old 200d rebuilt about three times a year by a local shop. Then I bought a bosch rebuild that lasted till I sold the car a couple of years later. The starter in my 300d was replaced last Aug. when it started to act up like yours is now. No problems so far and it came with a 1 year warranty.

surfblau · #3 06-28-2002, 11:48 AM

Thanks for the input.

I have read a few other posts that seem to say the same thing. So I just decided to drop the $220 and put the fast lane one in tommorrow.

I have a feeling that the previous one (note that I didn't say old one...) was a locally (SLC) rebuilt one.

(edit) In fact that was the case. It was a spanish bosch that was locally rebuilt by something like A&C alternator in Salt Lake city. The fastlane part was a german bosch that was rebuilt by bosch. Clearly a better product. It works nice.

later