Bad Starter motor?

[Europeaben]

Hey guys,

Took my car ('86 e30 325i) to the shops today. Started fine on the way there. When I turned the key to start it up and bring it home though I was greeted with an awful grinding noise. It will start, but does not sound healthy at all trying to do it.

Heres a video:


Have done a bit of searching but it seems when a starter dies it just dies completely, can't find much about a noise like this... Is the starter likely on it's way out or could it be something to do with the flywheel or something?

Cheers,
Ben

[jlevie]

That certainly doesn't sound right. The first check would be to see if the starter is loose. If it isn't the problem could be with the pinion gear or the ring gear on the flywheel.

[Europeaben]

Thanks for that. Doesn't aeem to be loose. Have roll started it today ti stop it damaging anything further. Will pull the starter out tomorrow to see whats going on

Sent from my GT-I9305T using Tapatalk 2

[Europeaben]

Well pulled the starter and tested it out of the car, and iys rooted. checked the teeth on the flywheel and they appeared to be fine. Bought a later (much smaller/lighter) starter second hand from an m20b20, bolted up fine but doesn't have studs on the end of it like the old one to attach it to the support bracket, but im guessing because it's like half the weight it no longer needs that other mounting bracket?

Seems to turn the car over nicely, haven't tried actually starting the car with it yet though, have the intake manifold and rocker cover off to do some other stuff.

Sent from my GT-I9305T using Tapatalk 2

[DIIRTY-30]

You'll most likely need that extra bracket, engine and road vibrations work wonders on things not properly secured.

Especially something directly connected to the flywheel, could be wrong but better safe than sorry.

[Europeaben]

True, but this starter doesn't actually have the studs on the back of it at all... so not sure how I'd be able to do that easily. Its a genuine bosch starter off an m20b20, and doesn't look like it's been modified, so I'm guessing it was just attached with the two bolts from the factory.

When I went to take the old starter off I found there wasn't even a top bolt and there was one washer on one of the bolts between the bracket and the starter, so it was probably on a funny angle which caused it to die. Not sure if they couldn't be bothered to put the top bolt in (there's some dodgy stuff done here and there on this car from the previous owner so it wouldn't surprise me, think they did a quick gearbox swap begore selling it, reverse switch and stuff weren't connected either) or if it vibrated out or what

Sent from my GT-I9305T using Tapatalk 2