Hello again,

A starter solenoid recently had me replace my starter in my 91 245. It's a recent rebuilt Bosch starter that would work for many more years with a working solenoid and I need a starter for my donor car now. It's the later model starter thats a little smaller and 3 screws holding the solenoid in place. I was looking on internet and you can open some solenoids by melting the solder holding the copper wires and pull the housing off but the housing didn't want to come off on mine. Anyone done solenoid repair at all? I vaguely remember a post by Art Bernstein (I think) with pictures of solenoid taken apart. I don't have money to buy new stuff or time to run to the boneyard and was hoping it was an easy corrosion/wire/cleaning fix.

Allright people, take care

John

If you can get to a junk yard this time of year it is a good place to find them. I have found several recently rebuilt by Bosch starters for about $30
Dan

Hey,
Not to many volvos in the junkyard here. I was out last weekend but had no luck.
But as you said it's a good time to find stuff since not many people like the cold.

John

I've fixed plenty of earlier ones. They usually have a couple potted screws holding
them together. Dig the potting out and unscrew the screws and as soon as you melt
the solder the cap should come off. There is a limited amount of fixing you can do.
You need to clean the contact surfaces, usually two copper bolt heads and a copper
ring that looks like a big flat washer. I usually do it with a file.
I once built one up with silver solder after it was worn down too much.

Walrus3:
The new ones doesn't have the screws unfortunatlly. Maybe the make them like so much other new stuff, non servicable. I'll keep searching.

Thanks
John

The old ones have the screws at the bottom of a counterbore that is filled with
black sticky potting material. So if you have a couple round spots that might be
a different material on the front surface it might be worth doing some digging.
There might be screws underneath.
If it is shot anyway you won't be losing much.

I forgot i kept a busted old kind from last winter. I looked at it and I see what you mean with the rubbery fillings. Maybe I'll see if I can get that one going. Just need a power wire from solenoid to starter. Does it have to be that woven wire stuff?

Don't think so but it DOES have to be able to carry a LOT of amps!

Walrus;
Thanks, I'll check for that when I get home.

John

I've not yet had solenoid problems on a Bosch starter. Just slipping drives and a busted planetary gear carrier on the 1.4kW (geared) units.

No time and no money is a killer combination. A compromise might be a local auto electric service. I would trust that approach far beyond anything obtained from Autozone or the like. Or, depending on your parts outlet, you can get rebuild parts for the starters, alternators, and so forth, at retail, just like the rebuilder can at wholesale. Take the starter with you, or get the Bosch number from the housing. Starter problems are so rare among my fleet, a spare from the JY is my approach. (Now why did I go and say that with a foot of snow in the driveway...)


--
Art Benstein near Baltimore

A dentist and a manicurist fought tooth and nail.

Art:
The soleniod just clicks, I have to tap it with a hammer to get the starter going. Once the car has started once it's fine but if it sits to get cold it's trouble. Someone said it's the solenoid going bad so I replaced the starter and the car starts just fine now. If it could be something else I'd be happy to hear about it.
Maybe I could take some time to go to the junkyard, not to many 240/740/940 around here though. I think it's more a lack of energy, as you said it's a foot of snow in the driveway and I've done enough car repairs in zero degrees this winter. I'll call around to some shops today to see what I can get.

Have a good day,

John