Signs Your BMW's Starter Motor Is on Its Way Out
Image: BMW 1 Series Starter Motor with just 10K miles for sale at MT Auto Parts A BMW starter motor rarely fails without warning. The problem is that the early signs are easy to miss or blame on the battery, which shares a few of the same symptoms. Replacing the battery when the starter is the real issue is an expensive mistake. This guide covers what to watch for, how to tell the two apart, and what a replacement actually costs. What the Starter Motor Does When you press the start button, the starter motor draws a large current burst from the battery and spins the engine fast enough for it to fire and run on its own. Once the engine is running, the starter disengages automatically. The whole process takes a second or two. On newer BMWs with auto start-stop, the starter gets far more use than on older cars; every time the engine restarts at a junction, the starter does its job. This extra work accelerates wear, and it is one reason starter motor failures have become more common o...
