when to replace starter motor?

[TactilePaul]

its maybe 15 + years old, a volvo md2030.. I am thinking that it may be the most likely thing that could leave me without engine??! I doubt it has done as much cranking as an average car would in one year, does this potentially extend its useful life?? and would anyone recommend a non volvo replacement? Opinions please, and tips on what else I should be looking at to ensure i don't call sea start this summer, aside from the common service/impeller/matrix issues.. thanks.

 

[Momac]

I guess you could removed the starter motor and have it bench tested ? But if it isn't broken why fix it?
A better investment might be in batteries as a weak battery may place demands on starter motor and alternator.

 

[pcatterall]

Return to the story in, say, another 15 years ! If your starter is working and living in decent conditions then it should go on for quite a bit longer. It could be useful to research locating the wearing parts and even getting them in stock. In my own case I located and bought a cheap replacement for my starter ( perkins 4108 ). My reasoning was that as the boat is in the Med and in group use we really didn't want the starter to fail where there may be difficulty getting a quick replacement and where someone's planned holiday could suffer. I fitted new brushes and swapped it for the original which is in the spares locker.

 

[vic008]

My 2003 has an Arco 10113(USA) which wont be original

 

[vic008]

Then again, parts4engines have listing for 100quid

 

[RichardS]

its maybe 15 + years old, a volvo md2030.. I am thinking that it may be the most likely thing that could leave me without engine??! I doubt it has done as much cranking as an average car would in one year, does this potentially extend its useful life?? and would anyone recommend a non volvo replacement? Opinions please, and tips on what else I should be looking at to ensure i don't call sea start this summer, aside from the common service/impeller/matrix issues.. thanks.

Make sure your starter battery is good and listen carefully to the starter motor when you start the engine. In 99% of cases, the starter motor will give you fair warning that things are deteriorating before she finally throws in the towel.

Richard

 

[Catalina36]

Given that my car is 13 years old I guess its starter motor is nearly as old as your Volvo one. Even if you use your boat rather more than I use mine these days then your starter will still have had well under 1% of the use that my car one has. I'd find something else to worry about.

 

[Alex_Blackwood]

its maybe 15 + years old, a volvo md2030.. I am thinking that it may be the most likely thing that could leave me without engine??! I doubt it has done as much cranking as an average car would in one year, does this potentially extend its useful life?? and would anyone recommend a non volvo replacement? Opinions please, and tips on what else I should be looking at to ensure i don't call sea start this summer, aside from the common service/impeller/matrix issues.. thanks.

Check the brushes and clean and secure all connections. You should have no problems. Only other thing that could cause problem is a sticky solenoid, may be separate from actual motor. Otherwise if it sounds OK then probably is.

 

[jiris]

Second Catalina36. Starter motors in general are doing very little work and the major parts easily outlive the engine unless abused. Parts worthy checking time to time are the brushes, solenoid contacts and the pinion that may show some mechanical wear especially if you are in the habit of starting the engine while running . Otherwise, don't lose much sleep over it.

 

[vyv_cox]

I have seen and experienced myself failure of the braided cable between the solenoid and motor. In a wet bilge this corrodes and eventually crumbles away. Well worth checking and easily done.

 

[Charlie Boy]

If youre really anxious, get it refurbed. Any decent auto electrics specialist will do it at reasonable cost.

 

[Dan Tribe]

For peace of mind, perhaps take it to an auto-electrician for a check and overhaul. My local one did a rewind and overhaul on a failed Yanmar [Hitachi?] motor. Much less cost than a new marine labelled version. He also went through a huge book to find what cars that motor was fitted to in case I wanted to buy one from a scrapyard.

 

[jwilson]

Not sure about Volvo 2030s, but on the equivalent current model Yanmar 3YM pre engaged type starter motors do die, usually because starter relays sometimes stick "on" leaving the starter motor spinning at very high speed all the time the engine is running. A similar effect can be had on any engine by the keyswitch being faulty and leaving starter motor current on. Three new starter motors in 15 years on my Yanmar.

 

[Dan Tribe]

Not sure about Volvo 2030s, but on the equivalent current model Yanmar 3YM pre engaged type starter motors do die, usually because starter relays sometimes stick "on" leaving the starter motor spinning at very high speed all the time the engine is running. A similar effect can be had on any engine by the keyswitch being faulty and leaving starter motor current on. Three new starter motors in 15 years on my Yanmar.

That's a painful reminder. My brand new Beta had 10 hrs on it, two keys on the ignition crossed over and jammed in the start position. Must have been running 15 mins before we noticed the smoke, and then we couldn't stop the beast! I only have 1 key on the switch now.

 

[tudorsailor]

I had the starter fail on our 18 yr old Yanmar at an inopportune moment of course. The local mechanic (Corfu) who sorted me out with a new relay said that he serviced starter motors on charter boats annually and private boats every other year. Since I'd never had mine serviced, I decided to buy a new starter and keep the old as a spare. The starter for a Yanmar is made by Hitachi so for about 100 euros I got a new starter and peace of mind.

 

[Dan Tribe]

Just remembered something my auto electician said
" if it's Hitachi, we can probably mend it"

 

[neil_s]

I have a Bosch starter that I have owned for 18 years and is probably something over 40 years old. It has been to the auto-electrician for repair once - that was for corrosion of the relay contacts caused by condensation. Keep your engine warm and dry with a nice blanket during the winter and all will be well!

 

[LadyInBed]

There's nothing so disheartening as the clunk of a solenoid and the engine not turning over.
When it happened to me in Jersey I took the starter motor up to a local automotive garage who tested it and it worked ok, so I took it away, cleaned up all the connections and checked the bendix then put it back onto the engine. That was about six odd years ago and it's not given me any trouble since.

 

[Quandary]

Discounted to £95 at P for E, so you cold replace it and keep the other for a spare, not that I recommend that you should, starter motors only fail when you are going off on holiday at the start of a bank holiday weekend, avoid those and it will last for ever.

 

[tudorsailor]

Discounted to £95 at P for E, so you cold replace it and keep the other for a spare, not that I recommend that you should, starter motors only fail when you are going off on holiday at the start of a bank holiday weekend, avoid those and it will last for ever.

My starter failed as I was sailing between Corfu and Albania with increasing wind. I did not relish the thought of sailing into Gouvia through the narrow channel. Luckily the engineer told me how to jump start the engine with a large screw driver.
TudorSailor