Starter Motor

[henrym3]

Still working to start the x but makes a squealing noise for a few seconds after engine has started, why?? Don't want to buy new if this is easily fixed with a few new parts. Anyone removed a starter from a 4.6l

[Greydog]

Morning Henry
Mine does it very occasionally but it's very brief, I put it down to a sticky solenoid. As it is so sporadic and has been like it for 3 years I have not done anything (tempting fate now).
I just put it down to the damn car waiting for me to relax then testing my wallets heart rate for a giggle!!

Without doubt the X5 feels like the highest maintenance car I have owned for a very long time. Love it when it's running well hate it when it has it's fingers in my pocket for beer tokens.

[lezmtaylor]

Morning all,
I would assume that the 4.4 starter (MINE) is the same as a 4.6 to remove.
There is a very good American site for how to's:
Pelican Parts , they do how to's for a variety of BMW and other makes .
I know they do one for the starter as I used it.

Lez

[henrym3]

Thank you gents for your replies, Greydog, it's good to know it's not likely to be imminent failure, mine seems to be like yours in that it's inconsistent and doesn't do it all the time. Lezmtaylor I've just read the Pelican article and that's within my skill zone, as I can use another vehicle I'm tempted to remove and try to repair. I'm sure that would be cheaper than new, ie new brush set, possibly solenoid, general clean up. There again GSF have a 60% off weekend?

[lezmtaylor]

I picked up a 2nd hand starter motor off ebay for £25, stripped it, rebuilt and it is a good one.
There are various places for new solenoids on ebay or google, try them if solenoid u/s (gone are the days you could strip and fit new internals to the solenoids).
The bearings at each end of the motor are sintered i.e.soak in oil for 24 hrs and they absorb it, good for another 100k miles.
I used to have a part time starter and alternator repair business,but packed it in when so many new motors etc came in, could never keep enough spare parts to give a good turnaround.
Anyway easy to play with.

Lez

[henrym3]

Lezmtaylor. After your reply I looked on e-bay and bought a Bosch one for £30 delivered. Think I will follow your lead and strip, clean rebuild with parts as I see need it. Hopefully will be able to fit a refurbed Bosch for around £50.

[henrym3]

The e-bay starter arrived this week. I have no doubt it worked but decided to strip and inspect, the brushes looked hardly worn, everything else was minging, the epicyclic gear was dry and dirty, anyway, cleaned and greased with graphite grease. Because of LPG fitted and it being such a PITA to disconnect the battery I just disconnected the lead in the engine compartment, checked for power at starter motor. No power so cracked on and removed, not to difficult, more of a pain removing the strengthening panel. Starts as should. As I was only 500 miles away from an oil change and had the strengthening panel off I decided to take the sump off and check for timing chain guide bits. Absolutely nothing which is brilliant, 132k on clock. Made a day of it and replaced the cam cover gasket which had a leak. Finally lots of Gunk and the power washer has it looking very factory like. 

[lezmtaylor]

Well done !!
I hope you found it easy to do, when I strip a starter motor I always pop mark the 2  motor ends to the main body of the starter motor to enable easier reassembly, also the solenoid as well.
The only real problem to removal is the 2 bolts on the side of the bell housing that secure the motor, they are usually very tight and one is almost inaccessible.

Any way that is at least £100 saved.

Lez

[henrym3]

Must admit, years of "yea, I'll remember how that fits or which way round it goes" has made me a marker pen fanatic cos I never remember.

[Alan Gunn]

Never without tipex me even tho i don't do much these days i still have some lol.