Replacing starter motor?

[holton]

I ned to replace the starter motor on my fabia.

I have searched all over for a guide but failed.

Has anyone of you here seen such a guide? I would be utterly happy if you would help me out with a link or some sort of tips on how to do this.

[GeneralPurpose]

holton, sorry to hear you have an issue. Starter motor replacement is quite easy even for the uninitiated. I found a post by Triggerfish (on this forum) from sometime ago that may be helpful. It's very similar to your Skoda I think you will find. You have him to thank.

Here it is: http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?2269482

Good luck!

Edited 26 May, 2015 by Estate Man

[holton]

I saw the linked post earlier, but since it was for another brand I thought it wouldnt do. But if you say its similar, i'll give it a try =) 

[Ootohere]

Welcome to the forum.

Tell us about your Fabia, what year was it built and what engine has it?

The link should be good enough you are looking at pretty much the same set up on the very much the same VW engines.

[holton]

Now I've just orderd a used starter so perhaps I can start trying next week...

[holton]

Missed your post there... 

I'm from Sweden and I don't know much about vars, mostly use them to get to and from work.

But this one should be a SKODA FABIA COM AMB 1,2 A very small motor, low on fuel = good car. Despite the small motor it's quite strong. Probably thanks to low weight and only 3 cylinders.

Exactly what motor I have, I don't know, the motorcode should be like BME or something, it's a 1198 cm³ engine.

The car is supposed to have been built December 2007.

 

Well thats what I know so far... =)

[holton]

The starter i replaced now! =) It was a fairly easy operation in most parts. I'll try to describe how I did it if any one else wants some guidance.

First things first. How to know if your starter is the problem.

Well, when this happened to me it started with the car just not starting even though the battery was fine. The actual problem is the solenoid on the starter that gets jammed. When you hit the solenoid you probably can start the car for some time. I used a small hammer for about three months to get the solenoid working, but eventually the solenoid gets to the state that in order to work you will have to hit it while you start the car, a maneuver that is quite difficult when you're alone.

 

In this picture I've tried to mark out the different parts that is of interest to anyone trying to replace the starter. The word "Gear shifter" is just what I think it should be called, I'm not english speaking and technical terms is a bit hard, anyways that metal stick do shift gears.

 

 

[holton]

I followed this guide:

 

holton, sorry to hear you have an issue. Starter motor replacement is quite easy even for the uninitiated. I found a post by Triggerfish (on this forum) from sometime ago that may be helpful. It's very similar to your Skoda I think you will find. You have him to thank.

Here it is: http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?2269482

Good luck!

[holton]

That guide was mostly working for me.

When i got the 2 bolts holding the starter motor loose the lower one was easy to get out, but the top one was really impossible. The "Gear shifter" was the problem. There is a nut holding it down, but still it is stuck. Put in the 5:th gear, then you get in i the top position. But still there is not room enough to get the bolt out. With a piece of wood, we reached up to the "Gear shifter" from beneath, then we gave the wood piece a few hits with a hammer, enough to lift the "Gear shifter" about 5 millimeters. But be gentle, there could be damage to the gearbox if you hit it too hard.

In the picture you see the "Gear shifter" with the nut unscrew. It seems like there is only one way to get that "Gear shifter" back in again if you would hit it out of its place. I made a small mark om both the dark bolt and the "Gear shifter" so that I could align them if that metal stick would come off totally when i hit it from underneath.

[holton]

Some short tips...

How to know what part you should order: On the starter there is a big sticker with the parts number. This seems like a standard part that is common in various VAG-related brands. My starter has this number: 02T911023S

Price and where to oder: For me this starter was about 62£ including shipping. Got it from a marketplace for used parts, in sweden this is bildelsbasen.se, but I'm sure you have something similar in your country, if not. Then just forget about repairing cars and get set up such a marketplace, there is a lot of money in that business. =)

[holton]

Tools I used:

ring wrench size 18mm  for bolts holding starter motor

socket wrench (or if its called ratchet in english, i dont know) 13 mm socket for nuts holding the cables you will need an extender probably 15 cm, the lower nut is hard to reach

screwdriver torx bit 20 

Hammer

50 cm plank

[holton]

Hahaha! Saw my little mistake in pic #1 now... "Gear ****fer"   Sorry, I did not intend any foul language, perhaps I'm little dyslexic.

Edited 6 June, 2015 by holton

[holton]

Here is a more appropriate version of the first pic if any mod would like to replace it.