Failure of the starter is a rather unpleasant situation, but you can still get to your destination by starting the car engine by towing or "from the pusher". Then it is quite possible to independently diagnose malfunctions and repair the starter.
The starters installed on the VAZ-2101-2107 cars do not have any fundamental differences from the starters that are installed on the VAZ-2108-21099 model. The only difference is that the front starter hub for front-wheel drive models is mounted on the clutch housing, not on the starter housing itself.
If the starter does not crank the engine, first of all you need to make sure that the battery is working properly. The easiest way is to press the horn. If the signal is loud and clear, then the starter is faulty, and if it wheezes or does not work and the control lamps go out, the battery is discharged.
Next, you need to make sure that the wires suitable for the starter are in good condition and check the starter relay, through which power is supplied to the control wire of the starter retractor relay. If all the wires are in good condition and power is supplied to the starter, you can proceed to checking the starter itself.
Diagnostics of malfunctions of a starter
Initially, the malfunction can be determined by the behavior of the starter when trying to start the car. Structurally, the starter consists of three main replaceable blocks, the faults of each of which can be easily identified. This is a retractor relay, an overrunning clutch (in common parlance "bendeks") and an electric motor winding. The most common failure is the retractor and the bendex.
If, when turning the ignition key, a loud click is heard, the starter engine does not rotate - while the control lamps go out and the battery terminals can also get very hot, this indicates a short circuit of the starter motor windings or the depletion of bushings, while the rotor is skewed and shorted to ground.
If, when turning the key, a series of clicks are heard and the starter motor does not rotate, this indicates a malfunction of the retractor relay. The retractor repair is usually ineffective and must be replaced.
When, when the key is turned, the noise of the starter rotation is heard, but the starter does not turn the flywheel of the car engine, this means that the overrunning clutch is broken - the bendex. The clutch is not repaired and is replaced with a new one.
Starter repair
Repair of the starter on the car itself is not possible; it must be removed for inspection and repair. If it is found during the diagnostics that the retractor is faulty, then it is replaced without disassembling the starter. The relay is attached to the starter housing with three screws. You also need to unscrew the nut holding the positive wire coming from the starter windings. When removed, the relay is disengaged with the overrunning clutch lever; when a new relay is installed, it engages the lever and is secured with screws.
If the freewheel is faulty, the starter will have to be disassembled. To do this, unscrew the two screws on the back cover and remove the cover. Unscrew the two nuts on the brush housing and remove the stater from the rotor. The freewheel will remain on the rotor, held in place by a retaining ring. Remove the retaining ring and replace the freewheel. When assembling the starter, check the condition of the brushes and replace if necessary.
If you suspect a short or open winding, disassemble the starter and ring the windings with an ohmmeter. If there are shorts or breaks, replace the windings. Also check the condition of the bushings to avoid short circuits when the rotor is skewed. If there is a lot of play, replace the bushings. Be careful when pressing in new bushings, as bushings are made of brass and are quite fragile - they can crack.
