OK, so we've all been there, you know the scene.............sitting in your VW, turning the key........and nothing happens! It's not as rare as you think, but before you reach for your wallet and spend your hard earned cash on a replacement, there could be a simpler solution.

Ask yourself the following questions:

Does the motor sometimes work?     Does it sound happy when it does work?  

Does it usually fail after a fast run?     Is the battery as good as it might be?  

Have I undone the wires to the starter motor and cleaned the connections? (IMPORTANT: make sure you disconnect the battery first)

If the answer to all these is 'yes', you probably simply need to clean the motor itself. Which is fairly easy to do! The reason it causes problems is that the solenoid current has to flow through the motor as well, and the brushes and commutator get dirty and worn, so not enough current can flow to start the solenoid moving. This seems to be aggravated by getting hot during a long run, which could be lack of lubrication on the drive pinion. Of course, changing any part of the system, even cleaning wiring connections etc, could improve the situation for a time.

(some have 2 brushes, some 4)

  • Disconnect the battery
  • Remove the starter motor, noting which wires goes where (extra one on some cars)
  • Undo the end cap and long through-bolts, and remove the end cover carefully
  • Check the brushes are long enough to press firmly on the commutator
  • Remove the brush plate, carefully removing the brushes as necessary
  • Clean the dirty areas on the brushes and commutator (this may need fine sandpaper)
  • Clean out the slots on the comutator (they should be slightly sunken below the copper segments)
  • Check the drive pinion operates smoothly (WD40 is good to free it off)
  • Re-grease the shafts and reassemble the motor parts
  • Seal the outside against water (I sprayed with Smoothrite and then Waxoyl)
  • Check the bush in the bell-housing that the motor shaft fits in, and grease it
  • Re-fit the motor, taking care to tighten nuts, bolts and wires properly.

And there you go! Nothing too it! Enjoy!