E30 Zone

I need to remove the starter on my M30B35 (E32 735i) but cannot get it to move. According to realoem and Haynes, there is a single bolt holding it in, and I have removed that.

I cannot free the starter though. Anyone got any tips?

Martin

Haynes is a load of bollocx, I have 2 bolts holding my M30 starter on, I know as I had to remove the bloody thing.

The second one is located right underneath the inlet valve, I had to use a stubby spanner to get to it.

Two bolts hold it on, you can just see in this pic

Cheers guys.

Can the one under the inlet be undone without dismantling anything? Just wondering if the fuel rail or the whole inlet manifold has to come off?

Martin.

Yes it can, I have done it, but it's a royal pain in the asre to do, you need as I said before a stubby spanner and articulate hands, make sure you get one with a ring on the other end, and a piece of heavy duty robe, tow rope will do, put the rope in the ring end, place the spanner on the bolt add pull towards the driverside.

P2 make's it so much easier

Just wanted to say thanks again guys, two extension bars parallel to the starter motor axis meant I could undo fairly easily with a ratchet in the end. I had to move the coolant header tank and some loom before I could see the bolt however.

Ordered the starter rebuild parts from Cotswold, wish me luck ......

Martin.

How much?

Repair kit was £15, not sure what is in it yet but looks (from realoem) like bushes, seals, maybe a bearing. New set of carbon brushes in their holder was £55.

Complete refurb'd starter was £320. GSF advertise a starter for only £95, but not had many good experiences with electrical items from GSF so decided to rebuild.

Martin.

Let us know how you get on , mine is on it's way out i think, cranks over to a point then stops

Rav

Rav335uk wrote:Let us know how you get on , mine is on it's way out i think, cranks over to a point then stops

Rav

Rav,

Finished rebuilding the starter today, and get it back in the car. A vast improvement, the starter appears to spin twice as fast as before - engine hot or cold - so it has fixed the problems I was having.

If you fancy doing the same, the parts I used were: B12.41.1.721.297 - repair kit £11.19 + VAT
B12.41.1.726.041 - carbon brush set, official BMW name is merely "Spacer" - £48.10 + VAT.

The starter is very simple to take apart, clean and rebuild.

Martin.

Good news, thanks for the parts list.

Rav

do your pre-fix symptoms look anything like this:

http://www.e30zone.net/modules.php?name ... c&t=156558

gareth wrote:do your pre-fix symptoms look anything like this:

http://www.e30zone.net/modules.php?name ... c&t=156558

Gareth, similar but not identical. My pre-fix symptoms were:

- When cold, the starter turned slowly but would start the engine.
- When the engine is hot, the starter would turn 1 or 2 revolutions very slowly, then just get the clicking solenoid. Had to wait at least a couple of hours for things to cool down.
- Bridging 11 and 14 gave *exactly* the same symptoms as turning the key.

The repair kit (part number above) came with a couple of replacement solenoid parts too, obviously designed to allow you to alter the throw of the solenoid in cases of wear.

Martin.