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S38 Starter Remove & Repair (archive)
[ Follow Ups ] [ M5 (E28) Message Board ] [ Msg. Board FAQ ]
Posted by Ron Serafine on June 30, 2001 at 16:02:37:

For about 6 months now, we haven't been able to get the starter to engage on the first flick of the ignition key, but always on the second try -after GRINDING into the ring gear! It was suggested by Seth, a B_C_G board contributor, that the starter's gear clutch was bad & the I could repair it myself for less than 1/2 the cost of the replacement one from BMW. Know What? He was right!

I pulled the plenum out of our `88 M5 (185,000 mi.), using the FAQ file method. What do I see? A sticker on the starter which says, "Bosch Remanufactured SR 95X", not the SR 41X I was expecting. I called my favorite parts guy (Andy) over @ MLD (my local dealer) & he says he shows NO Bosch cross-reference numbers, but that his listing of 1241 1 272 150 was superseded by 1241 1 460 093. They sell the remanufactured part for $134.00 list, from which I can get 20% off, or for $107.20. The North County Rebuilders (NCR) shop says that the clutch/gear ass'y. I got from them is different from the one for our SR 95X. The shaft is longer on the one in our M5 than the SR 41X one is. Anyhow, the cost for the one for this Bosch starter is $28 & change). They say @ NCR that the SR 41X is NLA in their supply chain. This may explain why this starter was in the M5...they couldn't get the SR 41X even back in `92, before we got it.

Pulling the starter wasn't hard, probably because it had been done before back in `91 or so. I had read the B_C_G FAQ file on it & yes, I did use the wrench from the trunk's tool kit. When I looked @ it & the new clutch/gear ass'y. I decided to go over to NCR & ask them for their 'trade secret' way of replacing this sub ass'y. After hearing the process, I was ready to let them do it for another $30 1/2 hour labor, rather than work my way through it according to their description, to be absolutely sure that it was done 'professionally', for my wife's safety away from home. Total cost: ~$58.00.

Getting it all back together, re-coding everything, and BOY, did that sound of the starter kicking in sound SWEET!

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