Rotating electrics remanufacturer, Autoelectro, has provided some useful information on identifying the underlying causes of starter motor failure, rather than always assuming the part itself is at fault.

The company’s technical team point out that starter motors can burn out and fail in untimely circumstances. These incidents can happen within months, hours or even minutes of fitting, and it is often the starter motor that is assumed to be the problem. However, a simple replacement does not mean that the component will not fail again as there may be underlying issues behind the failure. 

There are many common signs that show that a starter motor is burning out including; Blue colour on armature shaft near pinion, rattling inside motor when starter motor is shaken, burnt smell, damaged teeth on the starter motor, varnish leak, damaged wires or shrivelled labels.

Autoelectro says technicians should look out for common problems that can cause these issues. For example, on the Ford Mondeo 2.0 TDCi (2001-2007) the vehicle can suffer from water contamination within the fuel tank/filter. The contamination can cause various faults with the vehicle, which result in excessive cranking of the starter motor, such as; poor starting from cold or engine stalling on cold start. The system may also display fault codes stored P0251 and/or P1211. In all instances of the above fault, technicians must clear the contamination and replace the fuel filter.

Also on the Toyota Aygo 1.4 D-4D (2005-2008), the vehicle has known faults with the ignition switch and wiring harness, which can cause the starter motor to run in mesh and engage at the incorrect time. The faults lead the starter motor to burn out, can cause damage to the pinion teeth and can also result in the nose cone breaking. To rectify the origin of this failure, technicians must carry out component testing and replace the ignition switch and the wiring harness, if necessary.

These are just two examples of the regular technical bulletins issues by Autoelectro. For more information visit www.autoelectro.co.uk.