Hi all,

Been a bit dormant of late, had allot of uni work to do and cars been faultless

Recently its started making a clicking/squealing noise.

When you starte the car it sounds as if the starter motor is staying engaged a second or two too long, from reading around im lead to belive this is due to clutch dust ingress.

Anyone know if its possible to simply dismantle said starter motor area, clean up the spline which i presume it slides on, then re-assemble.
Or am i looking at a new starter motor.

I must stress, it never fails to start, and engaes properly first time every time. just this strange noise. (worth noting my mates stilo has been making the same noise ever sinc ehe bought it about 18 months ago, hes just never bothered to look into it)

Any diagrams/schmatics would be useful, ive lost my eLearn and ive run out of CD's...might try and mess around with virtual drives if i get a free moment, but uni is overloading me ATM.

Its a 1.8 3dr Dynamic -02

As a quick thing to try first, why not use your local garage air line to blast out the dust from the starter motor area (if you can get the nozzle near it)?

Also try tightening all of the nuts on the battery distribution. I had the same issue and fixed it by actually geting 12v to it

i'd whip it off quick and clean it up... (blow it out using compressed air, altho point the whole lot away from you preferably outside)

if you feel like it/get the time 'bench test' it after cleaning to make sure its operating as it should. clamp it TIGHT in a vice when you do cos even these small starters kick like a mule. wire brush/wire wool the mating surfaces and copper grease all the connections when you bolt it back on.

a little off topic now:-
when i was in college a 1st year took his mate clean off his feet messing with truck starter motors! As it spun up the 'torque reaction' flung it round launching it across the metal table straight into his buddys chest. quite dangerous at the time and felt a little sorry for the flattened n00b. but i've never EVER laughed so hard at someone else's misfortune. i was crying for a half hour straight but i'm one of these guys who keeps replaying it in his head over and over so the effect is compounded! i'm giggling like a schoolgirl just writing this.

and about the blowing out of clutch dust... i wont condone it (thats not to say i havent/dont do it ), H&S will have you out of a business before your legs touch the ground if they catch you doing it, and with older clutches & brakes containing asbestos it was a major NO-NO... BUT its THE best way of cleaning powdery substances from bell housing casings and such like when you cant get a brush in! so if you can find some where that will 'let' you do it then go for it!!

thanks guys,

yellow: ill try and get some air in there (once i find it! lol)

stu: ill give that a look in, might be a nice easy fix...

might be selling it after the snow this year :O ... the alfa GT is calling ...itll have to be a bloody nice one mind, my stilo is in breath-takingly good nick (due to a practically new interior, 80% of the body being resprayed and a no-skimping policy, shame they don't hold value )

EDIT: thanks for the story rich lol

yep i want to take it apart, mainly to see how it all goes together!

dibs on your 'blades'

lol currently i have schui 18" OZ's on the car, i have the blades sitting in my garden, they'll be going on for when i sell it, and ill sell off the OZ's seperatley (they are perfect, refurbed under a year ago, and should fetch a good price)....along with my unique DRL lights (i know there are a few people on hear with their eyes on them)

the 'blade' gods hate me!

richydraper said:

the 'blade' gods hate me!

Click to expand...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fiat-Stil..._tyres_Rims_Car_Wheels_ET&hash=item3a6c3d67ae

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mzhussein said:

.....might be selling it after the snow this year :O ... the alfa GT is calling ...

Click to expand...

Uhh I like that, i like that a lot, especially where it has that fantastic Alfa V6 :yum:

I fell in love with that engine a while ago, i followed someone in an Alfa 156 GTA out of brans hatch once and that engine tone has never left my mind, absolute ecstasy is all i can say, I will own that engine one day, one day....

long time no post....well the Sitlo is going at the end of the month...ive already put the front end back to stock (was painful undoing all my work, but looks perfectly OEM now)

thought id tackle the starter, id like it to be 100% perfect before it goes to its new owner.

as i was fiddling with the front end, i thought id have a look and see if i could sort the starter, but upon inspection, it seems to be in a really inaccessible place .

ive had a look at elearn, and it simply says unbolt and re-install...ive bought a replacement (only £20, mainly to see where the bolt holes are!). there are three, i can only see one from under the car....

any pearls of wisdom? please lol?