DIY starter retractor repair

In detail: DIY repair of a starter retractor relay from a real master for the site my.housecope.com.

A faulty starter retractor relay often causes the car to refuse to start when the ignition key is turned. Perhaps these are not the most pleasant moments in the life of any driver. Therefore, in such cases, it is important to know how to check the starter retractor relay, and how to start the car if it does not work.

We will tell you about the purpose of the starter retractor relay and its structure, how you can check it and perform simple DIY repairs.

At the end of this article, watch a video that shows how to start the car if the starter retractor relay is not working.

Also on our website you can find information about other common causes of starter malfunction with step-by-step instructions on what to do if the starter does not work.

When, when turning the key in the ignition lock, it is clearly audible that the starter is idling, then the retractor relay may be the cause of this malfunction. But before you start diagnosing it, you should know the purpose of this electrical unit.

As you know, a starter is an electric motor that is powered by a storage battery. When starting the engine, the starter gear should quickly engage with the flywheel ring of the engine crankshaft. At the same time, the starter motor is turned on, which rotates the crankshaft - this process in action is clearly visible in the animation below.

The starter retractor relay is responsible for quickly connecting two gear parts: the flywheel and the overrunning clutch gear (bendix). A retractor relay is installed on the starter housing, connecting to the clutch in the front with a lever. If the relay does not push the gear forward, the starter motor spins by itself.

Video (click to play).

However, the culprit of such a malfunction may be not only the retractor relay, but also the overrunning clutch (in detail about the repair of the bendix). If the clutch is stuck, the pull-in relay is not strong enough to extend it.

To determine the reason for the lack of connection of the gear elements of the starter and the engine, it is necessary to check the operability of the solenoid relay. For the convenience of diagnostics, most often it is necessary to dismantle the entire starter.

However, before starting to dismantle the starter, it is advisable to carry out a few simple operations that will help identify the problem:

Check the condition of the battery, the reliability of the terminals, remove oxides from the battery terminals;
Make sure electrical wiring is securely fastened to starter with nuts. If there is corrosion, clean the contacts with fine-grained emery paper;
Find the starter relay in the car and check its condition.

To remove the starter, you need to disconnect the wires that fit it, and then unscrew the mounting bolts (usually two or three).

Often, a motorist has to spend a lot of time and effort to perform these seemingly simple operations.

This is explained by the fact that the starter in many car models is well hidden in the engine compartment, and in order to get to it, it is necessary to remove a lot of interfering components and mechanisms from under the hood. And in some cars, such as the Volkswagen Golf or Passat, it will require engine support to dismantle it.

It is best to carry out this work on a viewing pit or on an overpass.

When the starter is successfully removed from the engine compartment, it should be cleaned of contamination, and the oxidized contacts must be sanded.

Now the starter motor must be placed next to the battery and two electrical wires of sufficient length must be prepared. It is best to use the wires for "lighting", which are equipped with "crocodiles".
First of all, you need to connect the positive terminal of the battery with one electrical wire to the corresponding terminal of the solenoid relay.
After that, another wire is connected to the negative terminal of the battery.
It remains only to touch the free end of the negative electric wire to the starter housing and find out the result:
- if, during the connection, a quick and distinct click occurs in the area of the solenoid relay, then it works;
- if there are no signs of "life", then the solenoid relay needs to be repaired or replaced.

With a working solenoid relay, the cause of the malfunction should be looked for in the power circuit. Well, you can try to repair a faulty unit with your own hands or replace it with a new one.

First, we suggest watching a video instruction on how to replace the solenoid relay yourself, and then we will tell you how to repair it.

Depending on the manufacturer, the starters are equipped with a collapsible or non-collapsible solenoid relay. To fix the problem of a non-separable element, you just need to buy a new part. It remains to unscrew the two mounting bolts, remove the faulty relay and install a new one in its place (see the video above).

In the case of a collapsible solenoid relay, you can try to repair it. The repair is as follows:

The screws that secure the housing cover are unscrewed.
Sometimes it is necessary to additionally unsolder the ends of the winding.
Removing the cover opens access to the search for a possible problem - these are power contacts, which may be worn out or burnt:
- in the first case, the replacement of contacts will help,
- in the second case, the problem can be solved with the help of a sandpaper.
- Now it remains to assemble the retractor relay and check its performance.
- The repaired starter is installed in place, after which you can test its operation.
And finally, we recommend watching a video that shows how you can start the engine with an inoperative starter retractor relay.

Well, here I am at the garage, doing an autopsy ... which says only one thing - the 3.14-Z-Decl starter ... well, if not right now, then in the near bright future ... in short, he can estimate the result of the "Kazakhstan 2030" program for sure cannot ... Nursultan Abishevich, I'm sorry ...

Well, not to be unfounded, a photo of a stator with badass:

perhaps one core in the winding ... but where is it?

yes, here she is ... lying around inside =)

as I understood, once upon a time, due to the fact that the bearing flew apart, everything inside was blown apart. But the craftsmen did not begin to eliminate the consequences, they simply replaced the bearing and put everything back together, without even checking if there was anything unnecessary inside.

and in general, all the insides are covered in scraps of insulation and dirt ...

I consulted with the specialists, they said there is nothing to catch here, if it is spinning, wait until it gets up at all. Can't be repaired.

Well, let's move on to the hero of the occasion - the retractor relay. It turned out to be non-collapsible (sealed), and, according to the assurances of specialists, it cannot be repaired either ... New under the order from the Emirates to wait 20 days ... from America it is faster, but more expensive. Well, you need to check, maybe someone has been lying around on the market, maybe they brought it by mistake, because the 32nd maxim is almost the same ...

Indeed, it was lying around. Looks like a solid 4

... until you put it back in place. Even does not overpower ... clicks, heats up terribly - insidious endduction =) but the bendix does not pop out. I take off, look - there is a spring inside, removed the spring - the bendix pops up, but not completely ... in short, this Chinese piece of excrement does not overpower the obligations imposed on it ... We do not need such hockey, we will hand it over tomorrow ...

And now what to do, to spend N-th amount of time without a car again? To hell with the assurances of specialists! who said "non-separable" ... there is nothing "non-separable" ... ..a couple of dozen cuts around the perimeter and the object is already ready for opening ... you just need to unsolder the wiring from the terminals, otherwise nothing good will come of it.

one penny was burnt by half ... But at the same time it was half intact =) so I am doing it simply.

I remove the stopper (I tried to twist it, but then cut it off so as not to smack the thread)

I take out a nickle, I polish it a little

now that's enough for another 20 years =)

replace the removed stopper with a nut.

I also polish the plate ... so that everything is as new.

I assemble in the reverse order, I roll up and solder the contacts. It is advisable to walk along the seam with a sealant ... well, so that it is airtight

Thus, it turns out that the starter solenoid is not only "collapsible", but also "assembled", which means that it is even "serviced"))

and… moment of truth… - THE MACHINE STARTS. And this means that I again sent specialists to hell, did it my own way and got what I wanted ...

Well, let me summarize. The starter is in any case for a replacement, but I probably will kill him to the end. The retractor is quite maintainable, and if there is a desire, and most importantly, there is no money to buy a new one, then a hacksaw for metal may be very useful. The quality of spare parts on the market still maintains a clear dependence on the price ... for a penny you can't buy anything worthwhile ... it's good if there is a working one at all.

And I also want to note one point, if you yourself have no time to repair a car, that is, an excellent resource where they will definitely prompt you exactly the company or car service that will do all the work for you.

Service the starter on time. And happy road to you.

The starter solenoid relay supplies current to the starter motor and also expels the bendix. This means that the moment the starter starts to rotate, its bendix is pushed out. In fact, it is not difficult to understand how a starter works. Today we will help you understand how a solenoid relay works, how to check this element and repair it.

In the starter, the retractor relay engages the flywheel crown with the bendix. All work is based on the principles of electromagnetism. The core, which is designed as a hollow tube, inside which the armature is located, is wrapped in the form of a wire. The current in the coil creates an electromagnetic field, as a result of which the armature enters the core. After the current has ceased to be supplied, the armature can move freely.

V the composition of the starter solenoid relay includes:

frame;

magnet with windings;

anchor;

contacts;

return spring.

The magnet in the relay is made in the form of a pair of coils - retraction and retention. The retraction coil of the relay is connected to the electric motor and the control terminal, but the holding one is connected to the control terminal and contacts the case.

When power is applied to the control pin, magnetic induction occurs in the coil, which results in a magnetic field. As a result, the armature compresses the return spring. At the same moment, the bendix rotates, which connects the starter to the car battery.

At the time when the contacts are closed, the pull-in winding is powered from the "+" terminal, the generation of current in the coil stops, but the field of the holding coil acts on the armature, so it remains inside. When the vehicle's power unit starts up, a power outage occurs, causing the armature to return to its original position under the action of the return spring. The contacts open, which can cause the bendix to disengage.

The main reasons for the failure of the starter solenoid relay are as follows:

Physical deterioration.

Burnout of contact plates.

Destruction of components.

Burnout of the winding.

How to determine that the solenoid relay is out of order:

The engine starts, but the starter does not want to shut down, constantly rotating. At this time, you hear a characteristic buzzing sound.

The starter motor rotates after starting, but cannot start the engine.

When the key in the ignition switch turns to its original position, a click is heard to turn on the starter, but it does not want to rotate.

As mentioned above, the operation of the solenoid relay, as well as the starter itself, is based on the principle of electromagnetism. When voltage is applied to the windings, the relay acts on the armature. He, in turn, changes the position of the bendix gear so that it meshes with the flywheel crown. At the same time, the contacts close, providing voltage to the starter windings. In order for the car's engine to start, all this must happen very quickly. If at least one of the elements is not working properly, you will not be able to start the car.

To check the starter relay, it is not at all necessary to remove this element from the car. Experts advise to close the contact bolts located on the back of the relay using a piece of wire or metal.

This will supply current to the starter windings. If this has caused the starter to rotate, you can conclude that the starter is operating normally, and the problem lies with the relay itself.

If the retractor clicks the starter does not turn, this indicates that the relay is probably working, and the cause of the breakdown must be looked for directly in the starter.

If you come to the conclusion that the starter traction relay is out of order, you need to repair it. We want to note right away that in most cases it is much easier to replace this element than to restore its performance.

Many manufacturers make non-separable relays in order to make this assembly the most reliable. In such situations, you just have to change the solenoid relay to a new one. If the starter in your car is equipped with a collapsible relay, you can repair it yourself. Often the relay does not work for the following reasons:

the mechanical drive is worn out and out of order;

a short circuit has occurred in the winding;

"Pyataks" or contacts are burnt.

You can determine each of the above malfunctions after disassembly. True, to determine the integrity of the windings, you will have to use an ohmmeter. When measuring the resistance between the ends of the wire and the case, this indicator should be at least 10 kOhm. Otherwise, the windings were closed, so you will need to go to the store for a new relay.

On the one hand, the body is covered with an ebonite or plastic cover. This cover has three terminals on the outside for connecting the wiring.
One of the terminals is designed to connect the "positive" wire from the battery, the second is to supply electricity to the starter motor, and the third is to connect the relay to the ignition switch.

On the inner side of the cover there are two positive terminal plates.

Schematic diagram.

Inside the housing with coils there is an armature, spring loaded on one side, and a starter relay rod.

On the outside, an eyelet is made on the anchor, with which it engages the bendix plug with the gear.

It all works like this: when the engine is off, the anchor of the retractor relay is pulled out of the case due to the action of the spring on it. The same spring holds the bendix with the pinion through the fork in the non-engaging position.

When the ignition key is turned to the start position, the solenoid relay is activated first.

The electrical energy supplied to the solenoid relay coils creates a magnetic field inside the case.

This field acts on the armature, and it, overcoming the force of the spring, enters the body, after which the retractor coil turns off and ceases to create a magnetic field, but in the retracted position the armature is held by its magnetic field by the holding coil.

In this case, the armature pulls the fork along with it, and that, in turn, moves the bendix forward along the rotor shaft, and its gear engages with the flywheel crown.

The armature, entering the inside of the case, pushes the rod of the starter relay, and, shifting, closes the contact plates of the positive terminals together.

Electricity from the battery is supplied to the brushes of the starter motor, and its rotor begins to rotate. And since the gear has already entered into engagement, the rotor begins to rotate the flywheel.

After starting the power plant and turning the key back on the ignition lock, the power supply to the holding coil stops, its magnetic field disappears and the armature leaves the housing under the influence of the spring.

At the same time, it disengages the bendix through the plug, and stops acting on the relay rod. That, in turn, leaving, opens the contact plates, and the starter is completely turned off.

It is not so difficult to troubleshoot a traction relay. It should be noted that its triggering is accompanied by a click - this is the result of the armature being pulled in, and the gear engaging.

When turning the key, this click is clearly audible. So, the absence of a click may indicate an open circuit in the coils, lack of power, jamming of the armature in one position.

If, when turning the ignition key, a click is heard, but the starter itself does not start or starts, but rotates very slowly, this may signal that the contact plates are burning.

Continued operation of the starter after starting the power plant will be accompanied by a characteristic buzzing sound.

It is possible that the armature is stuck in the retracted position, and it cannot come back, so it keeps the bendix gear in engagement and continues to close the contact plates.

It is not so difficult to check the performance of this element. Moreover, you can check it without even removing the starter from the car. For example, let's take a VAZ-2110 car.

So, the starter on this car does not work. First you need to check the wiring going to it for a break.

If everything is in order with the wiring, you need to find out if the traction relay is triggered at all.

To do this, you can ask someone to turn the ignition key, and listen to yourself if there is a click. If it is absent, it is faulty and you need to change it.

If there is a click of operation, but the starter itself does not turn, it is possible that the relay does not work due to burning of the contact plates.

You can check whether this is so with a regular screwdriver. The terminal coming from the ignition switch is disconnected from the relay.

Next, a screwdriver closes the terminal coming from the battery with the terminal going to the starter - a direct transfer of electricity to the electric motor is obtained, bypassing the relay. If it works, you need to look for the reason in the relay.

You can also check the voltage going to the starter with a multimeter, but this will rather make it clear if the problem lies in the starter or in the wiring and battery.

To do this, a multimeter is connected to the positive terminal of the solenoid relay, to which voltage is supplied from the battery. Connect the other negative lead of the multimeter to ground.

Next, someone has to turn the ignition key to the start position. The voltage on the display of the multimeter should correspond to 12 V.

If it is lower, it is possible that the battery is simply discharged and its energy is not enough to start the engine, but at the same time its charge is enough to trigger the relay, but there is not enough energy to rotate the rotor.

The solenoid relay is not repairable, and in the event of a malfunction, it is simply replaced.

The only thing that can be changed from him is the anchor. Replacing this element with a VAZ-2110 is a simple operation, it is more difficult to remove the starter itself from the car.

For replacement, you will need to dismantle the starter from the car. To do this, the car is driven into a pit, since it can only be reached from below. If the car has a crankcase protection, then it is removed first.

Next, you need to disconnect all the wiring going to the starter. To remove it, you need to unscrew the two nuts of its fastening, after which it is carefully pulled out of the seat.

Already on the removed starter, two bolts of the retractor relay are unscrewed, and it is removed, while the anchor together with the spring remains on the starter, since it is hooked onto the fork with its eyelet.

Before installing a new element, the old anchor is removed from the plug, and a new one is installed in its place.

Next, the new relay is put on the starter and tightened with the mounting bolts. To consolidate the material covered, we recommend that you watch a training video on how to repair and find malfunctions of the starter retractor relay.

Wear on collector plates. The brushes wear off much faster than the armature contact plates, but even after a few hundred thousand kilometers they can become unusable. The degree of wear is determined by the depth of the groove that results from friction with the brushes. If the brushes do not fit tightly at the moment of rotation of the armature, a spark discharge may appear, provoking burnout and further exfoliation of parts of the lamellas. Among other defects that arise as a result of beating and axial play of the armature shaft are ovality, displacement of the friction zone of the brushes.

Violation of the insulation of the collector contacts, leading to a breakdown to the mass of the armature body; turn-to-turn closure.

Worn bushings fixing the armature shaft. Critical depletion of bronze or copper-graphite bushings leads to the beating of the armature shaft, as a result of which the copper-graphite brushes fail much faster, and uneven wear of the collector is observed. Also, the wear of the bushings can cause displacement of the armature plates, which leads to turn-to-turn closure.

Worn or incorrect selection of distance washers to prevent axial play of the armature shaft.

Burnout of the contact plate of the solenoid relay. Burnout of the winding, turn-to-turn closure of the solenoid coil.

Worn armature shaft gear.

Removing magnets from the starter housing.

Fracture of the terminal of the positive wire going from the power terminal of the retractor to the brush. Sometimes the terminals, due to their location in a place with an aggressive environment, corrode strongly.

Operations, which in most cases are limited to self-repairing a starter:

replacement of the brush assembly. We have already considered how to replace the starter brushes with our own hands, so we will not dwell on this;

cleaning the working area of the collector with fine-grained emery paper;

lubrication of the planetary gearbox, the armature shaft at the point of movement of the plug of the solenoid relay;

complete cleaning of all parts from wear products of graphite brushes and collectors, dirt.

Many manufacturers do not provide for the repair and maintenance of the solenoid relay, so flare it to disassemble it.This can be done only for the purpose of cleaning with sandpaper or a file of the contact areas of the terminal bolts, plate. If a turn-to-turn short circuit or a breakdown on the case is detected, we recommend that you prefer to replace it with your own hands. We also find the idea of repairing the collector lamellas and rewinding the starter armature very dubious. For widespread starter models, such a repair is simply unprofitable, since it is often easier to find a serviceable used part for disassembly or to buy a new launcher altogether.

Before removing the terminals for repair or replacement of the starter, be sure to remove the terminal from the negative battery terminal.

When checking the starter removed from the vehicle, fix it securely in a vice.

Even to rotate the armature without engaging the flywheel crown, a considerable current is needed, therefore, when checking after repair, do not use thin wires and ensure reliable contact on the power terminals.

You can find the tolerance limits for axial, radial play, and the minimum collector diameter in the technical documentation. Even before starting the repair, we recommend that you find out the model of the starter, which should be indicated in the identification marking on the body.

When assembling, follow the sequence of installing the spacer washers to limit the axial play. In order to assemble the starter correctly after repairs with your own hands, mark and take photos during the disassembly process.

Only the planetary gear unit needs to be lubricated. For these purposes, CV joint grease is well suited. Never lubricate the working surface of the copper-graphite bushings. The grease will collect dust, thus transforming into an abrasive paste.

A serviceable freewheel should only rotate in the direction of rotation of the starter. The bendix itself cannot be repaired, therefore, in the event of a breakdown, it should be replaced. To remove the coupling, it is necessary to slide the stop ring along the shaft, then remove the retaining ring. When flushing an old bendix, do not use aerosol cleaners, as they can flush out the internal grease of the overrunning clutch.
The video shows how to replace the starter bushings with your own hands.