Hello all

My starter motor has started sticking for a second or two after the engine has started.

I'm considering removing it to see if it can be lubricated... Is this a viable option or is it a sign that it's on it's last legs?

Also, does anybody have any idea how it comes off on a Superb diesel auto? I've looked from the top and can't even see it, so I'm guessing it comes out from the bottom?

Cheers

Well I'll answer my own question as I had this problem on my old passat as well, so I guess it's reasonably common.

The motor is on the bottom so you need to raise the vehicle (I used ramps) and remove the under tray. There are two 15mm bolts holding the motor in place, one goes through the motor flange and bolts to the bell housing, the other goes through the bell housing and bolts to the motor flange - Access looks terrible for the second bolt, but it's actually not bad to get to.

The worst part IMHO is dethatching the cables from the solenoid.... It's fairly obvious how to do it, but access is not good and the cables are not long enough to offer much slack.

Once the motor is out, there are two 8mm bolts on the end which can be removed which allows the motor to pull away from the gears. I used brake cleaner to clean the gears out and then put a conservative coat of grease on them. If you do the same, I would advise being careful about where you put the grease as it will inevitable attract dirt and could make things worse. I would also keep the brake cleaner away from the motor windings...

Anyway, it's all back together now and it starts perfectly. The motor is nice and quick so I'm hoping it has a fair bit of life left. And now I can start my car without people staring at me!

Hello all

My starter motor has started sticking for a second or two after the engine has started.

I'm considering removing it to see if it can be lubricated... Is this a viable option or is it a sign that it's on it's last legs?

Also, does anybody have any idea how it comes off on a Superb diesel auto? I've looked from the top and can't even see it, so I'm guessing it comes out from the bottom?

Cheers

Edited 10 December, 201015 yr by VRSPhil