Strange starter motor - is this normal?

[tommomic]

Is this normal?

Sometimes when Ive moved the car a few feet (ie. when moving out of garage to clean or work on), I get a horrible screetching sound from the starter motor when I press the go button. When I try for the second time it always fires up. This has never occurred except when the car is only shifted a few feet - a Cerbera feature?

Cheers,
Tommo

[alans]

yep, I have the same. I think it's the dog not meshing with the ring gear.

Alan

[q7oaks]

I had this last year!!

Progressively got worse until the starter motor failed completely.

Dealer told me this noise was the classic symptom of the starter motor on the way out !!!

[futie]

Yep, mine did it for a year until finally it gave up .. Joolz got my new motor from Curds - excellent man Tim! See here.

[gixxer1000]

Agree with the above. Your starter is definitely on it's way out. Could take a while, but when it goes it's gone (of you get my drift).

Seems to be a bit of a shortage of Cerbera starters around (judging by a few other threads on PH), so may be worth sourcing one now.

You can buy reconditioned over new if you fancy saving a few quid.

[gary judd]

yep
it is on it,s way out , i have had four new one,s in as many months seems to be a batch of faulty starter,s . get one a.s.a.p before it lets you down.good luck.

gary judd

[tommomic]

Thanks for the replies.

Next question is then - can you do anything yourself if the starter motor packs up, or can the AA/RAC? Or is it simply a part for part replacement?

Also, are they usually covered on by warranty (I've got a Warranty Holdings one)?

Finally - anyone know of anywhere in the Slough/Oxford area where I can get it swapped asap (under warranty)?

Reason I ask is we are off to Le Mans next week, and I dont want to be stuck the wrong side of the Channel!

Cheers,
Tommo

[james]

gary judd said: yep
it is on it,s way out , i have had four new one,s in as many months seems to be a batch of faulty starter,s . get one a.s.a.p before it lets you down.good luck.

gary judd

It isn't a faulty batch. They've always been a weak point. The trouble is that they use a racing spec starter, which isn't really designed to start a car 5 times a day every day. As a result, they wear out quickly.

They did start using an "uprated" starter about 2 years ago, but they were always hard to come by (although they may be more freely available now), and didn't seem an awful lot "uprated". I had 1, and it went as quickly as the original design.

It's the gearbox on the starter that goes. You can replace the work out bits for a few quid (and it's a relatively easy job to replace them) instead of buying a new starter.

James

[q7oaks]

Regarding whether the starter motor is covered under warranty!

Fortunately mine was, Warranty Holding covered full cost.

[gary judd]

james said:

gary judd said: yep
it is on it,s way out , i have had four new one,s in as many months seems to be a batch of faulty starter,s . get one a.s.a.p before it lets you down.good luck.

gary judd

It isn't a faulty batch. They've always been a weak point. The trouble is that they use a racing spec starter, which isn't really designed to start a car 5 times a day every day. As a result, they wear out quickly.

They did start using an "uprated" starter about 2 years ago, but they were always hard to come by (although they may be more freely available now), and didn't seem an awful lot "uprated". I had 1, and it went as quickly as the original design.

It's the gearbox on the starter that goes. You can replace the work out bits for a few quid (and it's a relatively easy job to replace them) instead of buying a new starter.

James

james
i had my cerbera for two years with no problem with the orginal starter , it was only when the engine blew up in folembrey [you remember] that a new starter was put on since I got the car back in january it,s gone through 4 , I do know that some cerb,s suffer from starter,s burning out but what I was saying is that,s the excuse that I have been given.

gary and cerb