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Any other good starter options besides Bosch remanufactured?

OVERDRIVE

OVERDRIVE

Active member
Joined
Jul 31, 2017
Location
Brooklyn, Neu York
A year and a half ago the starter went out on my 240, so I bought a Bosch remanufactured starter and installed it. A week later it went from cranking quickly to cranking really slow. I contacted I paid double about returning it under warranty and they said that it was 1) my battery and 2) The warranty only covered if it just stopped working completely. I knew it wasn't my battery, whenever I look at other project cars for sale I take the 240 battery and drop it in knowing that whatever battery was in there is probably bad. That's besides the point though, and now the starter finally died for good. Getting power and ground, I can jump the poles with a wrench and see some sparks but it's DOA.

Is this a fluke occurrence? I really don't want to deal with this again, especially for $140. Is there other brands people trust? I've had many Bosch plug wires fail prematurely, Bosch knock sensors that are bad out of the box, Bosch o2's fail after not many miles, this is just a trend I've experienced despite them being the OE for many European cars.
 
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Dunno about brand, but the starters from a 940 are smaller, more powerful, and fit on your 240.

Buy it from FCP, when it breaks it has lifetime warranty, so send it back and get another one. I did this with the bosch alternator handing off the red wagon.
 
I have known good used/tested in town?

Have had better luck with early if it’s a DD without fuss?
Still going in the dd 35 years later?

As to Bosch or not idk? ‘Rebuilt’ or ‘reman’ is a crap shoot for sure.

If it’s still in production for a current model that has to make it to a 10/100 extended warranty it’s usually mostly fine?

Changed a lot more late starters than earl(ier)…
…some of those have cheap contacts & solenoid arms for the Bendix gear it seems?
I got one of those ever that was good & performed to my satisfaction, & early works better in the cold if the battery’s marginal…
 
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Heresy

Kjets On a Plane said:
I have known good used/tested in town?

Have had better luck with early if it?s a DD without fuss?
Still going in the dd 35 years later?

As to Bosch or not idk? ?Rebuilt? or ?reman? is a crap shoot for sure.

If it?s still in production for a current model that has to make it to a 10/100 extended warranty it?s usually mostly fine?

Changed a lot more late starters than earl(ier)?
?some of those have cheap contacts & solenoid arms for the Bendix gear it seems?
I got one of those ever that was good & performed to my satisfaction, & early works better in the cold if the battery?s marginal?
Click to expand...

:nod:

And makes your Swedish Steel sound like a Japanese car when it turns over.
 
I usually buy from FCP but when I’m in a pinch I usually go to IPD. I would buy another from FCP for the warranty but even though that saves me on buying them when they break, the real value is having a reliable vehicle. I think I’d like an early known good one, but there’s no redblock cars at the PnP right now. I have gotten a recommendation on a rebuilder in town, but with the way mine failed I don’t know how much I’d trust it.
 
OVERDRIVE said:
I usually buy from FCP but when I’m in a pinch I usually go to IPD. I would buy another from FCP for the warranty but even though that saves me on buying them when they break, the real value is having a reliable vehicle. I think I’d like an early known good one, but there’s no redblock cars at the PnP right now. I have gotten a recommendation on a rebuilder in town, but with the way mine failed I don’t know how much I’d trust it.
Click to expand...

The problem is my friend that what's in the supply chain is invariably the late janky small starters.

:censored:

Lighter for your hoop-T becauseracecar, but you'd need to carry at least one spare for a weekend at the track.

And maybe a push start to go if it goes out at an inopportune moment.

Did I mention they're a bitch to change on an AT car?

:grrr:
 
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Your 240 (1990) should have had the later design permanent magnet starter design (SR 437X). I had the SR 437X in my 1987 745T and it soldiered on for 27 years until I sold the car. Probably the most reliable electrical thing on the 740. I think all Volvo red block engines from about 1985 had the SR 437X. I have had more problems with the earlier SR 37X non PMG starters on my 140 and 240 cars. On my 140 I now have an SR 437X genuine Bosch reman from Rock Auto installed in about 2016 and it has been reliable; but, my 140 is not my daily driver.

The most common failure point on starter motors are usually the contacts on the solenoid. On Denso starters it is very easy to find replacement contacts and 'home rebuilds' are easy to do. I have never had to deal with contact replacement on a Bosch so I don't know whether the contacts on the solenoid are serviceable. On the older SR 37X replacement brushes are available; but, if the brushes have reached the point of non operation then the commutator is usually toast and the cost of a commutator rebuild is not realistic. If the solenoid on your SR 437X comes apart, examine the contacts. If you can't find replacement contacts, filing and polishing the contact may restore operation.

Any replacement starter is likely going to be a Bosch SR 437X. Can't advise whether any other rebuild vendor is any better than 'genuine Bosch'. About 15 years ago Gustafson listed Denso based gear drive starters for the Volvo
http://gustafsonmachine.com/

I contacted him about 2016 looking for a replacement for my 140 and my recollection was that he said it would be a custom order because there was no demand for Bosch replacements. He maintained inventory for vintage Lucas replacements. You could try him if you really don't want a Bosch. Note that the SR 437X is backward compatible with the SR 37X. The SR 37X replacement may not be so easily forward compatible because of the need for the auxiliary contacts on the later SR 437X.
 
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I got my car with a napa brand rebuilt small starter which lasted 6 or 7 years under my ownership until it randomly died. I went to the junkyard an pulled a starter from a 1995 940 which also turned out to be dead. Like a fool I didn't test it before installing. I went through my stash and found a seemingly non rebuilt "big" starter with the unthreaded ears and installed that (after testing it) and its been working well since. I do kinda like the sound of the old/big style starter better. My mini PC680 battery has no issue turning the starter down to -5 degrees F this winter, so it doesn't seem to tax the electrical system any more than the smaller ones.
 
OVERDRIVE; said:
I have gotten a recommendation on a rebuilder in town, but with the way mine failed I don?t know how much I?d trust it.
Click to expand...

To me, it's a no-brainer.

If I have the old, original starter I'd look into having it examined and, if practical, rebuilt by a professional.

If the existing problem is not repairable or if the cost of repair exceeds your budget then you can move on to plan "B."

Given the scary stories about the flimsy crap out their now I'd be reluctant to buy online or at IPD, unless it is OEM.
 
Idk I’ve replaced a ton of small starters but fewer big per year?
Like…5-10:1 over the years miles where the cars actually are & accumulate a ton of years/miles before they rust out, but w/o strict CA smog & lots of short trips?
& had better luck with them with a marginal battery in the cold on a DD.

I had one small starter that was actually W.Germany reman that was replaced in a 700 early in the car’s life (first 10 years) @ the dealer because of a mis-diagnosed ignition switch that would stick on once in a great while that lasted & sounded optimal/healthy?
The rest have been cheap Brazil junk. Just saying? :e-shrug:
Maybe others have better luck on their DDs?

As to rebuilts/remans idk I just to find workable cores & *try* make the correct diagnosis/evaluation? Like anything?
It’s a crapshoot, maybe the core was decent & it got what it needed, maybe not?
Maybe the starter you buy is chinesium/Bosch Brazil junk like the so many late 80s/early 90s VWs got, maybe not?

I’ve had 2 small starters ever that really lasted & sounded healthy w/the Volvo tag, both replacements? ‘89s the first year of small starter.
Maybe that ‘85 700 got a quality replacement early in life?
Permanent magnet isn’t inherently a bad thing, tho?

Not condemning *all* small/permanent magnet starters but when shopping used/reconditioning/recombining yourself on the ch33p (this is TB, right? :lol:) or starting w/less than brand new battery for a DD, early brush type made in W.Germany starter’s usually what’s most expedient/for dinner?
Those electrically laden early 700s had so many fuse block & odd electrical problems…
 
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I haven't had any notable problems with either design. I've had hundreds of Volvos with the later starter design and out of those, a few have had rebuilt starters on them. The same thing goes for the early design. All my cars have had the later design on them. I have never felt the need to replace the later design for an earlier version.
 
Neither fails *that* often, but I’ve definitely replaced more late than early :e-shrug:
& had an early car actually start on a marginal battery parked next to a late (cables/terminals fine on both same weight oil, next to each other w/plenty of other rwds coming & going in the same shop).

I’d use either, but on a DD & shopping generic used on the cheap, I’d use early if ‘known good’ & OE W.Germany & not chinesium/Bosch Brazil w/slight preference?

I *try* with the limited electrical/other knowledge I have to recombine/properly repair used & not to buy cheap/craptermarket made after the cars went outta stringent quality control high volume (one big buyer/volume discounted priority OEM customer) production in 1998/subject to lemon/10/100 extended/implied warranty laws/ford got the controlling share in 2000 China or Bosch Brazil nazi slave crap new just as a rule, but what do I know? :e-shrug:

Since when is TB ‘bought not built’ new chinesium/similar & not recombine (best quality/properly evaluated/‘known good’) used & rewind it with your wire-turner & techtronix navy hoarder/signal corps electrical equipment in your/your buddies/local quality rebuilders garage?
Thought those were the dyed in wool hardcore Volvo owners of the 140/240 ‘boxy, but good’ w/a few amazons & 7/9s here & there?

Wish ya luck OP, whatever you decide?
Have tested used OE for ~head-head w/self serve wrecking yard price…


Idk that it’s the Bosch brand or not so much to answer your question so much as ‘is this made to stringent 10/100 extended/implied lemon/warranty laws for a reputable brand (not some VW Brazil/Mexico yearly model change cheap compact car POS compared to a cheap Honda/Toyota of that era (that will probably last 2-4x as long w/o letting you down if you bought it new/took good care of it (as long as it doesn’t/didn’t get stolen/wrecked :lol:) :lol:) for a hi-volume model car/truck that doesn’t change model/engine all that often, or not?

The Bosch starter in my (& other/various Bosch branded starters in ford trucks) 300-6 ford (they sold that engine 68-present in stationary/durable equipment/the airport tug/gas UPS step vans?) was original/no fuss?

They (Ford) had both PM & brush type Bosch branded starters like the Volvo but I suspect Volvo cheaped out & used some Brazil/somewhat inferior starters starting in 1989 to save $ & ship them to a lower volume brand in like VW did in their Mexico & Brazil made cars & Bosch parts.

That said, I’ve had ~3 quality replacement late PM starters in the Volvo that were replaced @ the dealer w/the Volvo & Bosch W.Germany tag when redblock Volvos were still in production…
Maybe the Halifax built Canada Volvos always/majority got the better quality of the small PM starters?…
…I’ve mostly only seen non-turbo 4-cylinder 200 series that were Halifax built -‘85 model year, IDK about 700s or what starters they sourced/shipped in those years?

Also, I should say, stuff made in Mexico, China & Brazil isn’t necessarily junk always…
…stuff repop’d for low volume not subject to strict regulations in life-threatening or class-action-suit liable to the corporation applications usually something gets ‘lost in translation’ or bean counted to make profit margins work w/shipping costs is all/proceed w/caution /good ouck?
This is an economic/structural business argument, not one to vilify individuals (be they Chinese/Mexican/Brazilian workers or engineers that spec parts @ major ‘reputable’ corporations w/a name to uphold etc.) …

The dollar weakened to the SEK ~1989 & Volvo cars was struggling until ~1994 & they really started to sell 850s in the booming/bubble 1994-1998 USA economy.

In my experience, they started to source or pinch Pennys on fan clutches & starters for the USA market & ~1989-1992 they also really marked up the flag ship fully optioned models (780, 760, 940SE, 244GL, 245SE, 960) to charge appropriately their niche customers w/the $ those years judging by the pile of windows stickers/svc records I’d collected/seen all while they’d been bleeding $ to get the new fwd 850 mid-size modern model into production & slowly phase-out the old model(s) as $/exchange rate & DOT safety/environmental laws dictated (esp. w/USA manufacturers w/deeper pockets/inside track to lobby CARB, DOT, EPA & NTSA for their/their products benefit & keep foreign/smaller competitors out)…

This all said, if you got a good condition (white?…such as one picks the color on used cars…color picks you IMO?) base model 2/7/9 series, consider yourself lucky? :lol:

Especially if later model/well seam sealed/rust proofed w/ABS brakes model (modern safety feature I don’t rely on, 3&4 channel late 80s/early 90s ABS numbs the pedal a bit w/accumulator & doesn’t work optimally on gravel/rock crawling /all surfaces/slopes), but over-all I like it/ works well/reliably in a DD/Bosch ABS is *mostly* reliable (seen a couple pumps leak/fail in 1987–1991 Volvos, but it’s rare…if you’re complaining about price/availability of a quality new/reman Bosch W.Germany starter thru the Volvo dealer when the cars were still in production, you should see the bill to replace the ABS pump (eg. in the trunk of your ~<10yo 780)! :omg: ).
Or parts cost thru the dealer for a new/reman/updated early LH2.4 ECU (obviously labor cost lower than an ABS pump replacement in the trunk or an early 780 after (hopefully correct?) initial diagnosis) ! :omg:

Then, factor in inflation-adjustment (in U$D) to those prices & honest dealer/Indy mech that’s willing/able source quality parts @low margins w/old wily mechs that know what they’re doing/even care anymore w/the older cars or any customers left worth bothering with…:omg::omg:
 
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