Hi everyone,

While I would normally say just about everything that "You can't win!"
today it sure was a day when I *did* win.

Story background follows. About a week ago, starting one morning I have
noticed that as soon as I turn the key in the ignition, the starter
motor would make funny noises. Instead of a loud "CLACK!" followed by
the noise of the engine starting, this time it was just a "Whirrrr!"
and much later a series of griding noises. Re-attempting to start, would
result in much similar noises and after about 3-4 attempts, it would
finally do a "whir-CLACK!" and start the engine.

Anyways, initially I suspected the battery, since I've been there before
just under 12 months ago. However, I have noticed that the lights are as
strong as ever, wipers are working full speed and power and there's
nothing wrong otherwise to indicate a premature death of the battery.

Comes today, and car would just "whirrr" away, and every now and again
would bounce the starter gear off the fly-wheel. Damn! I think. It's
Sunday, Sweet F. All stores opened, no car services, no nothing. After
a while I managed to find a few stores that were opened. Auto-Barn
gave me the bird saying that my car - a 99 Camry is too new for them
to carry starter-motors, and that I should try to see a service.

"Good-o" I think. Try Repco. Succes! Repco has it, I part company with
AUD 200, grab the new starter motor and I'm on my way, thinking I've
done a pretty good deal. On my way home I drop into Super-Cheap to ask
for a quote from them for the part I already bought, just to see how
much they ask for - $270! Hmm, so I've done a good deal, after all.

15 minutes later, I get home and on to change the part. All goes well,
un-mounting the old and re-mounting the new starter motor. Only that
when I try to connect the last electric clip, I notice that it won't
just sit in there. *sh.t* You cannot WIN!

Taking the starter motor off I have a look at them and see that apart
from that connector (which has a different shape) everything is the
same. Same power, same voltage. Oh, different part serial number, which
I have noticed before installing it, but thought nothing of it.

Anyways, I take it back along with *my* pooched motor, for them to
compare and give me the right part. Which they don't have, and has to
be ordered in! Bastards! Oh, and Bosch is migrating everyone from the
old model of starter motor to the new model. With *no adapter in the
box*. Arrgh! This calls for a quick change of plans come tomorrow, in the
vain attempt to find the Holy Grail, errr... Holy Starter Motor by
trawling through all the services available around me, and all the
auto-stores.

Defeated for today, I turn back home, thinking that if nothing else,
I'll just take the damned thing apart and see how it looks inside, maybe
at a later date it will serve me good, knowing what's inside this model
of starter motor. So I start with the coil - you know, the one that
pushes in the spinning gear-head. All looks ok, no smoke, no dirt
all cool. A bit greasy, but that's to be expected, after all there's
a large steel cylinder inside that rubs agains the walls, it has to be
lubricated at least a bit.

I try to move the head by pulling on the lever inside the housing. I
*barely* manage to move it 1mm. Hmm! Looks stuck. It doesn't slide up
and down the shaft, but it does spin. The whirring noise I knew it
meant that the motor is spinning fine. The stickyness of the head going
up and down the shaft *just might* explain why it wasn't pushed into the
fly-wheel before it spun at high speed.

Used a bit of degreaser on the shaft, careful not to soak the damned
thing, and after that degreaser, a good old squirt of WD40. Trying to
turn and pull it out in the same time reveals a massive success! The
whole assembly moves now freely up and down and in the same time,
massive amounts of dried gunk loosen up and show on the shaft. It now
takes no force to slide the head and turn it in the same time.

"Good-o!" I think, lets put the cylinder back in the coil and assemble
the thing back and see if it works. The head still slides, but it
requires a bit *more* force because of the spring behind the steel
cylinder. Oh, and it also bounces back in its place just like after
starting the engine.

Without further adue, I mount the starter back and give it a try.
YES! Starts first turn, no noise, no fuss, purrs like a kitten now!

So, *you* can win some days! :) Today it was one of those days!
Oh! and I saved $200! :)

<Homer Simpson>
I am so smart! S-M-R-T! err.. I mean S-M-A-R-T!
</Homer Simpson>

                        Ino!~