The service life of the VAZ starter is approximately 6 years. Therefore, it is not surprising that one day, instead of the familiar hum of a running engine, you heard incomprehensible clicks. And it also happens that the engine does not react at all to the turn of the key in the ignition lock. All this means one thing - you have to repair the starter.
To find out the reason why the starter does not turn the engine, it is necessary to observe the reaction of the vehicle systems after turning the key in the ignition lock. There may be several situations.
Lack of reaction
First of all, pay attention to the instrument panel - several bulbs should light up when turning the key. If this does not happen, then the battery is completely discharged. If the control lamps light up, but when the key is moved to the "Start" position, they start to go out, then either the battery is not fully charged, or there is no contact of one of the battery terminals with the car wiring. Another possible cause is a malfunction of the starter relay that supplies voltage to the solenoid relay. In the "classic" VAZ, it is located on the right side under the hood (if you look at the direction of the car).
You can try to put a working battery in advance. If the situation repeats, you will have to remove the starter. On the removed device, disconnect the solenoid relay. Disassemble it (perhaps you will need a soldering iron) and inspect the "nickels" - copper contacts in the form of bolts with large round or square heads. Starter failure may be due to carbonization. Just strip the contacts and reassemble the relay. At the same time, check the integrity of the winding with a tester. Before putting the part on the engine, connect it with thick wires to a working battery - the relay armature should be retracted in the presence of voltage on the contacts.
One or more clicks
After a single click (there may be several of them), the starter does not turn the engine or makes a few slower turns. Here, the primary reason is the same - a bad battery, burnt contacts, a closed (cut off) winding of the retractor relay. If, after the clicks, there is a smell of smoke, then the matter may be in the closed winding of the starter stator. This is already a serious malfunction, in order to eliminate it, you must have experience in repairing such devices. Therefore, it is more advisable to buy a new starter.
Other reasons
A rattling and "skipping" sound when the engine crankshaft slowly rotates may indicate wear on the flywheel teeth. If the starter turns the engine well every other time, then the possible reason may lie in the worn out brushes of the starter manifold; it is not difficult to replace them if the part is removed from the car. However, the collector itself may become unusable due to a long service life (large production on the surface) - then you will have to change the starter anchor.
