looks like my starter motor is b0rked, anyone tell me best place to get a new one?... would a Felicia 1.3/1.6 one from Jorily fit my car?, its got a Favorit engine in it...

I'm a muppet as well and when I took the motor out to replenish the bushes I didn't disconnect the battery, there was a bit of a flash when the socket slipped out of my hand touched the block while I was tightening up the bolt which holds all the big leads in place... what else am I likely to have fryed? I could bump start the car before but it doesn't seem to want to now... :s

Yep it should do. Well I have a Favorit fitted with the felicia starter. Should be quieter and slightly faster too I believe.

Edit: just thought your gearbox may somehow be different as it's rear wheel drive. Don't know if that makes any difference or not.

Edited 27 April, 200917 yr by anewman

No it wont, only a rapid or estelle will fit. Fav or felly ones wont mesh proppa

Arcing out the battery lead at the starter shouldnt have done anything that will stop it starting

even though its a Fav engine?

You will have changed the flywheel to the Estelle one.

:)You won't be able to use a FWD Skoda starter motor on a RWD Skoda. The starter body is similar in shape, but not the same where it bolts to the bellhousing.

Hi Tenman, Butts of Bawtry, Doncaster supplied a reduction gear starter motor, for my Estelle, some years ago that was a straight fit & far superior to the standard item, I regret not removing it when I sold the car on, might be worth talking to them. On Ebay now standard starter, but seems expensive No.370193361981 £59.60 + £10 p.p. Pete. P.S you can usually get starters rebuilt or checked OK locally, try yellow pages for your area.

even though its a Fav engine?

Its not the engine you bolt it to, its the gearbox

Just had mine fail on my Rapid.

Got one of ebay for £80 and it is fine. - electrostart2006

Butts of Bawtry no longer do any skoda parts.

There is Express Auto Electrical in Cambridge who can get reconditioned starters etc (and do a good line in other bits for the Rapid)

They are getting a bit like rocking horse droppings, but so are the bits for the rest of the car!

Any of the Skoda 1.3 and 1.4 8 valve engines go in the rapid but you need to take off the ring gear on the fly wheel and fit the one from the rapid. You also need to put the correct bearing in the middle.

Only estelle starters fit but sections of the FWD skoda starters can be used to repair some of yours.

We can supply either the Old type or new type starter motor for the Estelle/Rapid. Thanks for your business again Tenman

Aye, Geniune OEM is the way forward I think, especially as I have plans to really get to town on this car in the summer and get it running and looking really nice...

Shiney.....

hmmm, starter motor fitted and working fine now, it just that the engine doesn't seem to want to fire from it very quickly if at all, it'll turn the engine all day long without it actually firing, although sometimes when you actually stop trying to start it it fires up then, wonder if I've done something dumb... the old starter motor had 2 wires leading to spade grips, this one only has one, at the moment the spare one is just tied up out of the way, wonder if I need to fit this to anything.

:)Connect those 2 wires together before attatching to the single terminal on the starter solenoid.

The wire currently disconnected is the 12 volt feed to the ignition coil that's needed while the engine is being cranked. While the engine isn't being cranked the coil operates on a 9 volt feed from the ballast resistor.

but remember that means you're running a 9v coil at 12v, I've cooked several coils doing this when ballast resistors failed. A fatter spark for as long as it lasts, but carry a spare coil or replace it with one intended to run a non-ballasted system.

Whenever I've bought a reduction gear starter for rear-engined use, they've been equipped with the two separate small terminals.

but remember that means you're running a 9v coil at 12v

:)No, I meant join the 2 small wires to the starter motor together, not the two at the coil. That'd mean the 12 volt feed to the coil would only be activated while the engine is being cranked.

oh yeah, sorry, bad night's sleep !

hmm, well it starts straight away now... and then dies immediately any ideas?

I'm guessing the starter motor is now earthing the coil someway it shouldn't when the circuit from key-starter isn't engaged...

Edited 29 May, 200917 yr by Tenman

One wire is from the ignition switch to trigger the starter, the other is from the coil to give it 12v for starting. There should be a connection on the starter solenoid for both wires. When you turn the key the starter solenoid also provides power to the coil wire.

If they are joined and connected then the coil gets earthed through the starter solenoid when not cranking. If there is not a second connection then a relay putting 12v down the coil wire when the engine is cranked and disconnecting when not will work or if you feel electronical you could use a diode so that the current from the coil cannot flow through the starter.

5W Zener Diodes > Maplin

one of these puppies do the trick? wondering if 5Amps is enough for that circuit?

Dont use a Zener diode - they flow current the wrong way when you go above a certain voltage. Ideal if you need to take 12v and feed an nice stable 5v to your ipod or something (with some other power circuitry) but no use for this application.

Use one like this - a rectifier diode - 6A Silicon Rectifiers > Maplin

Put the band to the coil - the band is -ve and the +ve is from the starter. This should be big enough and some to spare. Once soldered on put some heat shrink over it to protect it and keep it from earthing. (tape will do but heat shrink is neater)