Surprises? Replacing the starter....

[ChrisZ4ATL]

Woke up this morning and my starter is completely done for... had a feeling the last few days it was bound to happen.... got a new one today and plan on replacing it this evening or tomorrow.... do i have any surprises to look for or is there anything i should know before going at it?


I have not looked at it yet so i figured id check on here to see if its just simply move some things over and bolt-off...bolt-on.... anything at all i need to beware of?

[mike87]

how'd you tell it was the starter that was going?

[ChrisZ4ATL]

got it replaced... i did need an E12 socket (star shaped) i got from autozone....

each day i noticed cranking the car was weaker and weaker... finally it simply wouldnt crank. lights and everything were very bright still.... tried using a jump box and it didnt work... tried charging the battery and it didnt work... finally since my battery was under warrenty i took it to autozone to be checked and it checked out perfect so it had to be the starter.

replaced it and now it cranks up stonger than it ever has....

when replacing all i needed to remove was the air box, sound generator, and intake hose....

starter is on top of the tranny under the intake plenum and was not easy to get out or in... but an hour or 2 later i finally got the new one in

[doccyber]

I hope you are talking about the MR2, not your "04" Z4??? No reason for 5 year old car to need a new starter!!!

[mbimmoor]

^ agreed. On my previous E36 M3 it had nearly 200k miles and 10+ years of driving without a starter replacement.

Hmmm.

[nlink720]

I don't doubt him, there have been several people with starter issues / replacement. Mine has 59,000 miles, and started making an abnormal noise every time, but it still turns strongly. I wouldn't doubt it if mine failed in the next year.

[Fripp64]

I had my starter replaced last month, under warranty, at 42,000 miles.

It would grind like when you try to start a car that's already running.

Mine is an '06 3.0si

J.

[nlink720]

I had my starter replaced last month, under warranty, at 42,000 miles.

It would grind like when you try to start a car that's already running.

Mine is an '06 3.0si

J.

This is what I'm getting, and it has been substantiated by several others such as the two here.

I would adjust the statement that "BMW Z4 starters are bulletproof" to something like "BMW Z4 starters are generally reliable but it is not unforeseeable that one could need replacement well before the typical BMW starter needs replacement, even with proper care."

[ChrisZ4ATL]

it was on the BMW.... i bought a lemon.... 76,000mi bought at 36,000mi

-both cup holders are broke
-exterior driver side door handle doesnt work
-passenger side window is now not rolling down as of a week ago
-backs to the seats are falling off
-speaker cover behind the seat is missing
-parking brake fell apart inside the rear hub so i removed it... no ebrake
-OEM wheels cracked so i replaced those
-OEM battery has been replaced
-i keep having to re-glue most of the interior back together (under the sunvisors and on the pillar)
-Airbag light stays on due to water damage...
-and not to mention I track the car frequently so i go through rotors, tires, brake pads, fluids, and car washes quite often lol

[techboyjk]

How broke are the cupholders? I've had mine replaced already, because they rattled obnoxiously. 2 years later, they are starting to rattle again.

[BazSeaZ4]

ChrisZ4ATL had the exact issues my 04 Z4 had... after $800 quotes from the dealer and specialty shops i took chris' advice and did it myself. thank Chris.

more info to help others:
1. starter was taking too long to start motor -- then could not start at all.
2. check the battery first; are lights good and bright when trying to start the dead motor. if yes, you have a dead starter
3. Orielly's had the starter on the shelf ($150), lifetime warranty
4. need the E12 socket
5. keep battery disconnected
6. remove the air filter box -- i had to disconnect the fresh air hose from the filter discharge side to give me the room to get the starter out.
7. remove starter -- then put it back in.

[grhi]

Just replaced mine, 86k miles on an 03 Z4. Much easier than I expected...

[pokeybritches]

What seems to happen is the battery goes first, and then a few months later the starter goes. A weak battery kills a starter. I replaced mine at 108k miles.

[RyanP]

I'm guessing I also have a starter that has gone bad. I went out to start my Z4 last weekend, and it wouldn't even crank. I assume this is the starter. It falls in line with what the above poster stated. My battery died about 1-2 months ago. I'm not the most mechanically inclined, but I've found some pretty detailed instructions on how to change this out. I think I can do it myself. I really don't have the $500-1,000 available to pay a mechanic to do it. Any thoughts?

[CelticD]

My starter in my 2005 Z4 has been "grinding" at start-up but only when the temps are in the below 40's range. With Winter coming, I'm noticing it more of course. Took the Z to the local dealer to verify and they just called wanting $650 plus tax to replace the starter.

My current issue is I'm gonna be out of town with the car for about two weeks if not longer. So I'm possibly looking at having to replace this either by a dealer or on my own. But doing it on my own means in a hotel parking lot and limited tools.

If I can get step by step instructions and have an idea of the tools I'll need, i might be willing to tackle it. But I'm thinking it might just be best to have a dealer do it?

It still starts strong and quick, it just grinds every now and then. But honestly it might be mid December before I can think of doing it myself.
Suggestions?

[pokeybritches]

Do a search for a DIY.

[swanicyouth]

My 03 z did the same thing. It would grind every once in a while. It's just going to get worse, and could possibly ruin the teeth on the fly wheel if that's what it's grinding against. Who really knows what it's grinding against? I did notice the old starter sounded slower. Just replace it ASAP yourself. Skip Pep Boys reman starters and get a reman from someplace that sells quality Euro parts.

[Dubbedown]

On the topic of cupholders, I deleted mine and put in the blank covers. Then I picked up a pair of "ultimate cupholders" =)

[CelticD]

OK, my starter finally died the other day, thankfully while it was parked in the garage. Heck, it lasted over a year from when I posted on this thread. Anyways, I'm in the process now of pulling out the old one and following the steps from the DIY posting here but in that posting it lists the bolts that hold the starter to the Bell Housing as "10mm", yet posts on this thread state they are "12mm". I've also seen someone mention they might be "E10".

The Z in the DIY post was a 2003, Mine's a 2005 and yes, it only has about 57k miles on it.

Can someone please verify the torx bolt size so I can run out and get the right one?

Thanks!

Update ***my 2005 starter's Torx head bolts are E14

[montaillou]

Can someone please verify the torx bolt size so I can run out and get the right one?

Buy a set.

[CelticD]

OK, my 2005 Z4's starter was going little by little over the last year or so.
Last week I go start it and zilch, nada....no engagement at all, it was dead.

So I go out, get a new starter, install it and go to fire her up....same deal.
Plenty of juice, got full power to everything, but the starter will not engage.

What now? Where do I look/troubleshoot?

[CelticD]

Bueller? Bueller? Nothing?

Checked at fuses, they are fine. A friend is lending a meter and will be checking to make sure I'm at least getting juice to the starter.

There's got to be something in between? A relay of sorts?

[V8Z4]

Bueller? Bueller? Nothing?

Checked at fuses, they are fine. A friend is lending a meter and will be checking to make sure I'm at least getting juice to the starter.

There's got to be something in between? A relay of sorts?

I can't say from experience on the Z4, but every other car I have worked on had a starter relay. I have been told the relays are on the back side of the fuse block (behind the glove box).

[ScottyZ4]

My starter went out on my '03 Z4 the other day at 64,000 miles.

Odd that these starters can go out so abruptly without any warning signs. Luckily it went out at home. AAA towed to mechanic. $524 total w/tax for replacement.

Is this a fair estimate?

[montaillou]

OP replaced his with a couple hours work. List price for the part (#12417578684) from getbmwparts.com is $227. Whatever price they get the part for, they're gonna mark it up when they resell it to you, then are probably charging you for 2 hours of labor. $524 sounds about the right for a dealer a little excessive for an independent.