on cold mornings I get CLICK, WHIRRRRRR a couple times before the starter will spin the engine properly and the car starts up. Doesn't do it when warm though.
Im pretty sure I need a new starter then. Looking through a search of the topic of starters here it looks like people don't think much of Autozone's starters and they try to limp the most life possible out of their existing one.
Autozone has a lifetime starter for $109. A rebuild locally goes for $90-130

Which route should I go?

Eric Z
Chattanooga TN
79 300sd

has it ever failed to start? if not then why not wait until it ''thaws'' out a bit before deciding whether to replace.

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1984 300D Turbo - 231k....totalled 11/30/07 RIP

Sounds more like a dirty bearing than a bad starter. The other possiblity is a worn or sticky solenoid not getting the drive gear engaged properly.

If the engine starts reliably when the starter engages, I'd pull it and have the shop check out the solenoid and starter gear -- nothing wrong with the rest of it AND DON'T LET THEM TOUCH IT unless they know MB diesel starters -- sloppy rebuild will leave you with a ruined starter.

Peter

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1972 220D ?? miles
1988 300E 200,012
1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles
1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000
1972 280 SE 4.5 165, 000 - It runs!

Honestly,


I find the starter a little difficult to get on and off the car. Hence, I spent the $175 and got a Bosch rebuilt starter.

Any Bosch authorized service center should do a good job on the rebuild. I think it's more having "OEM" parts where another place only has access to the generic china made parts.


Michael

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Michael McGuire
83 300d
01 vw A4 TDI
66 Chevy Corsa
68 GMC V6 w/oD
86 300E

If you're going to replace the starter I would spend the money and get a Bosch starter or get yours correctly rebuilt.Dont buy the crap from autozone.

Attached Images

 

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'60 190b
'77 300D
'78 240D
'82 300TD

The Bosch is $136 from Fast Lane. As cheap as I am I can see an extra $20 being justified to go Bosch on something like a starter if I go with a new one
One poster above mentioned just replacing the solenoid. Fast lane didn't show just the solenoid, and the solenoid alone is $67 at Autozone.
Sounds like it is a bit of a PITA to pull out so rebuilding the whole thing might be more practical. Why would you not let the rebuilder touch the rest of the starter to rework it?
Eric Z

I drove VW's for many years... and the Bible for keeping them going was a book called " How to keep your VW alive for the Complete Idiot ".... by Muir.....
They told you the real practical things and were certainly for people doing repairs themselves...
So when THAT BOOK said DON"T try to rebuild the Bosch starter it stuck in my mind...
So Bosch may just require too many special tools or special guages to get the stuff correct for the long haul to let anyone but Bosch do the rebuild...

There's one problem: If the Bosch rebuilt starters are so good, why are they only willing to guarantee them for 90 days or one year? Does anyone know for sure whether Bosch farms out their rebuilding to the same people to rebuild the Autozone?
For a vehicle which has the potential to last 350k miles or so, a lifetime warranty carries a fair amount of value.

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

Bosch knows how long the car will last, and they don't want to keep doing rebuilds for free!

The Autozone warranty is probably based on them not expecting you to keep the car for more than 2 years.

The genuine Bosch from Fastlane will probably outlast the Autozone rebuilt. But of course your next (and next, and next) Autozone starter will be free. So what you have to decide is whether the hassle of removing and replacing it is worth the money saved.

In the case of axles, I decided the CarQuest $69 axles were fine because the job is relatively easy and the alternative was nearly $400. However, I've heard that the 300D starters are really tough to get out so that is a job where you might want to spend an extra $40 to only have to do it once. In the end, it is a personal decision.

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Rick Miley
2014 Tesla Model S
2018 Tesla Model 3
2017 Nissan LEAF
Former MB: 99 E300, 86 190E 2.3, 87 300E, 80 240D, 82 204D Euro
Chain Elongation References

Out and in, less than an hour in a 300d. Haven't done a turbo, but I think it is very similar.

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

One of my mechanics, who has been working on MB diesels for 30 years, thinks the Bosch rebuilds are not really that good (or maybe not as good as they used to be). He is somewhat of a fanatic and uses a place outside Barstow CA to rebuild his alternators and starters. Advanced Alternator in Yermo rebuilds the alternators and starters for the military base outside Barstow (Yermo). They do lots of combat training and competition using older Russian vehicles. Apparently these Russian vehicles are so poorly made that this is the only guy that can keep the starters and alts running. He can rewind the motors too.

I've had no problems with rebuilt Bosch alts and starters and would probably buy them again. But I thought it was interesting side note on someone elses opinion AND to what extent they would go to use something much more difficult to find.

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84 300DT Puke Yellow. Totalled after 438,000
84 300DT Orient Red. 169,000 (actual mileage may vary)
2002 Explorer EB (wife's)

I wouldn't be so hasty to make that assumption, nor to give someone else advice based on it.

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Rick Miley
2014 Tesla Model S
2018 Tesla Model 3
2017 Nissan LEAF
Former MB: 99 E300, 86 190E 2.3, 87 300E, 80 240D, 82 204D Euro
Chain Elongation References

It's not an assumption, it is an educated hypothesis. I've read the posts that deal with it and looked closely at my own. Access to the bolts is basically the same, the only difference is the location of the exhaust pipe which looks to me as though it effects the manner in which the starter comes out through the steering linkages. On the 300d it comes out on top of the right tie rod with the wheels turned to the right. People have written that it comes out down thru the linkages with the steering stabilizer removed on the turbo. Since mine does not appear to have a stabilizer, this one difference does not seem very significant. Hence my tenative conclusion that the process will take roughly the same time.

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

Which ever way you go make sure you put lock tite on the two bolts.
I put a Bosch on mine and when I took the old one off the lower bolt was already loose . Never seen this happen, but is was on there for a long time. Good luck.

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A couple of Ford pickups F 150,250, 350 missed.
1983 240 D 256,000 miles ,auto, ac.

Buy one from FastLane, this way you make sure you get the right starter, and maybe even the "updated" starter if your car has the older style starter...