So I'm on my 4th starter since my motor swap in November. It makes no sense to me...

The starter I pulled out today has only been in the car for about 2 1/2 weeks. I don't crank the car alot to start it. I barely even need to turn the starter to get the car to turn over.

I pull it out and none of the gears are rubbed off on the flywheel or starter. When I put power to it, the bendix pops out, but it doesn't turn. It just shoots pretty blue sparks. Same problem I've had with the last 3. What gives?

All 4 starters are remans from autozone.

 

Don't go cheap and buy the crappy autozone rebuilt starters that only last for a couple of months at best.

 

Well... technically I only payed for the first one. All the rest have been replaced under warranty. I was just wondering if I was doing something wrong that was killing the starters...

 

starters generally die from too much heat or just plain worn out.

Autozone electronics for Starters and Alternators are very very bad. Not uncommon to have a 300% failure until you get a good working one.

I supposed you could be shooting too much voltage too it as well... is the car's battery more than 13 volts?

 

It's a Optima Blue Top. NAPA ran out of red tops and told me it would work just as good.

 

I've had better luck with Advance Auto Parts reman starters, not that they are really that great. Otherwise there may be local shops that rebuild them.

 

Is their any way to hook a TII starter into the n/a?

 

actually yes.

the motors between the turbo and N/A are identical. you just need to swap the turbo motor onto the N/A mounting piece. I've done this before (n/a motor into a turbo starter) and didn't have any issues with it afterwards.

 

I see. I have a extra TII starter sitting in the corner, about to go try it.

 

I'll step up and be the contrarian.

Honestly, I've had very good luck with Autozone and Kragen lifetime warrantied starters, alternators, master cylinders, slave cylinders, brake cylinders, water pumps, ps pumps etc etc. Thinking about it, I'm sure I get at least 3-4 years out of any of them before needing to replace. And since all these things are so easy to replace, with the lifetime warranty it's like the parts are lasting a lifetime.

The only problem I've ever had right after an install was with a Kragen (soon to be O'Reillys) AC Compressor. But even that has been going strong for 5+ years since warranty replacement.

That said, after going through 4 starters I have to believe something more is going on besides bad luck or bad Autozone parts.

A key question (albeit I would guess an obvious answer knowing the replacement process), when you take back a "failed" starter, are they bench tested as bad before they replace them? If not, then I'm voting that you've got a short/bad connection in your wiring somewhere.

 

It's one of the few wires left of my stock harness. Not taped together or twisted or anything, completely stock clip.

And Autozone has tested it every time its come in. The bendix will pop out and sparks will shoot out of the motor but it wont spin...

 

LOL Well, I guess Icemark wins this debate then. Sounds like you're sharing in Autozone bad luck in a bad batch of starters.

Try dipping into another basket like Kragen/O'Reillys. You can order online and get free shipping (saving gas, etc) if total is over, I believe, $50 which it would in this case. And you still can "enjoy" the convenience of dealing with over the local store counter if your bad luck continues.

 

Oh well, I was hoping maybe I was doing something wrong that I could fix but I guess I'm just gonna have to deal with them blowing out until I can afford to put a good one in it.

Thanks for the help everyone!