Replace starter with plastic pipes?
09-19-2018, 12:38 PM
#1
Intermediate
Thread Starter
Replace starter with plastic pipes?
My mechanic is saying we should replace the started in my 2004 Turbo. He says the antifreeze will cause it to go later. Is that BS?
09-19-2018, 07:42 PM
#3
Banned
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Spring Lake, NJ, US of A
Posts: 10,085
Received 1,140 Likes
on
758 Posts
No. If the pipes went bad and leaked - the starter is on borrowed time. The antifreeze Porsche uses dries into an abrasive crud that will eventually destroy the starter. Then you get to pay for intake removal again, and possibly pipe removal and reinstallation. Your mechanic is doing you a favor. Too bad it seems like you don't trust him. I would.
09-20-2018, 12:59 AM
#4
Rennlist Member
No. If the pipes went bad and leaked - the starter is on borrowed time. The antifreeze Porsche uses dries into an abrasive crud that will eventually destroy the starter. Then you get to pay for intake removal again, and possibly pipe removal and reinstallation. Your mechanic is doing you a favor. Too bad it seems like you don't trust him. I would.
09-20-2018, 09:59 AM
#5
Rennlist Member
No. If the pipes went bad and leaked - the starter is on borrowed time. The antifreeze Porsche uses dries into an abrasive crud that will eventually destroy the starter. Then you get to pay for intake removal again, and possibly pipe removal and reinstallation. Your mechanic is doing you a favor. Too bad it seems like you don't trust him. I would.
09-20-2018, 12:10 PM
#6
RL Community Team
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
Aww come on, guys. It's important for any of us paying a mechanic to do things we can't to understand and ask questions. I've heard a lot of bull from a lot of mechanics over the years, some at the best shops. Upselling is a big problem. There's nothing wrong with wanting to be an informed consumer and forums like this, guys like you guys, this is one of the most valuable things you can do for the community. Hell, I just did the exact same thing, asked how many hours to expect to replace a starter and validating makes me a better customer for my mechanic. We non-mechanically inclined really appreciate the forum. Thanks.
I have a lot of non-mechanically inclined friends and neighbors with expensive vehicles that get upsold all the time. One of the local BMW dealers is the worst of the bunch. About once a week someone asks me if an estimate for a repair or service is fair. Those of us who have mechanical skills and vehicle and marrque-specific knowledge should always be willing to offer informed opinions without bias. It really takes a knowledgeable, mechanically inclined person to determine if an Indy is being reasonable or not and unfortunately, on the Forum, we can only rely on the information that is provided.
In Seattle, where Porsche indy rates run from $140-180/hour, the wrong choice can get really expensive quickly. On the other hand, there are a handful of really talented, honest Porsche indies here in the area that make up for the others. One of them even changed out a set of wheel bearings on my 930 for me on a weekend when I was stuck without a press.
Cheers,
TomF
Last edited by TomF; 09-20-2018 at 12:39 PM.
09-21-2018, 11:47 AM
#7
Maybe? There are a lot of variables that you did not mention.
Did the coolant leak and got the starter wet? Then yes, a great idea to replace.
If there was no coolant leaking and you're just replacing the pipes per-amptively, then perhaps the starter has plenty of life left in it.
Have you had any issues with starting the car? Vehicle mileage?
You can always replace extra parts "while you're in there", but sometimes "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" is a great advice, too.
Did the coolant leak and got the starter wet? Then yes, a great idea to replace.
If there was no coolant leaking and you're just replacing the pipes per-amptively, then perhaps the starter has plenty of life left in it.
Have you had any issues with starting the car? Vehicle mileage?
You can always replace extra parts "while you're in there", but sometimes "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" is a great advice, too.
Trending Topics
09-21-2018, 02:22 PM
#8
If it is a 2004 with an original starter, I would just go ahead and replace it. I would not expect more than 14 years of service out of a starter on anything that is driven regularly.
09-21-2018, 06:24 PM
#10
Nordschleife Master
Maybe? There are a lot of variables that you did not mention.
Did the coolant leak and got the starter wet? Then yes, a great idea to replace.
If there was no coolant leaking and you're just replacing the pipes per-amptively, then perhaps the starter has plenty of life left in it.
Have you had any issues with starting the car? Vehicle mileage?
You can always replace extra parts "while you're in there", but sometimes "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" is a great advice, too.
Did the coolant leak and got the starter wet? Then yes, a great idea to replace.
If there was no coolant leaking and you're just replacing the pipes per-amptively, then perhaps the starter has plenty of life left in it.
Have you had any issues with starting the car? Vehicle mileage?
You can always replace extra parts "while you're in there", but sometimes "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" is a great advice, too.
Is the starter showing any signs of age?
There's a known issue where the starter will crank a bit slowly. Sometimes it will make a partial 'turn' (like maybe 1/4 of a revolution) and then stop. You have to turn the key off and back on to get it to start.
Does it do any of that?
OTOH, the starter is 14 (or more) years old. They don't last forever.
Replacing it now is the cost of the starter. It's maybe 10 minutes of work to replace it while the pipes are out and the intake off.
Labor to replace it later will be quite a lot.
Last but not least - Are the pipes being done proactively? Or did they blow? If they blew and coolant was down in the V, then, without a doubt, no questions asked, absolutely, positively replace it now.
Or you will be replacing it in less than six months (see labor comment a line or two above).
09-21-2018, 09:29 PM
#11
Burning Brakes
I didn't replace my starter when I replaced my pipes (preemptively, no leaks) and within a year I got the infamous Cayenne Kazoo noise at startup. Yeah, it doesn't affect starting or hurt anything...other than looking like a damn hillbilly in a parking lot every time you start your vehicle.
I pulled the intake again and installed a new OEM Bosch starter. Do it while you're in there as it'll only add a few minutes to the job. Brand new OEM Bosch is around $400, and the only difference between it and the factory is one box says Bosch and the other Porsche (at more than double the price). If you're on a budget or have a clunker, rebuilds are far less...then again at that point, I may be tempted to leave the original in place.
I pulled the intake again and installed a new OEM Bosch starter. Do it while you're in there as it'll only add a few minutes to the job. Brand new OEM Bosch is around $400, and the only difference between it and the factory is one box says Bosch and the other Porsche (at more than double the price). If you're on a budget or have a clunker, rebuilds are far less...then again at that point, I may be tempted to leave the original in place.
09-23-2018, 11:26 PM
#12
I'm somewhat torn between these two.
Is the starter showing any signs of age?
There's a known issue where the starter will crank a bit slowly. Sometimes it will make a partial 'turn' (like maybe 1/4 of a revolution) and then stop. You have to turn the key off and back on to get it to start.
Does it do any of that?
OTOH, the starter is 14 (or more) years old. They don't last forever.
Replacing it now is the cost of the starter. It's maybe 10 minutes of work to replace it while the pipes are out and the intake off.
Labor to replace it later will be quite a lot.
Last but not least - Are the pipes being done proactively? Or did they blow? If they blew and coolant was down in the V, then, without a doubt, no questions asked, absolutely, positively replace it now.
Or you will be replacing it in less than six months (see labor comment a line or two above).
Is the starter showing any signs of age?
There's a known issue where the starter will crank a bit slowly. Sometimes it will make a partial 'turn' (like maybe 1/4 of a revolution) and then stop. You have to turn the key off and back on to get it to start.
Does it do any of that?
OTOH, the starter is 14 (or more) years old. They don't last forever.
Replacing it now is the cost of the starter. It's maybe 10 minutes of work to replace it while the pipes are out and the intake off.
Labor to replace it later will be quite a lot.
Last but not least - Are the pipes being done proactively? Or did they blow? If they blew and coolant was down in the V, then, without a doubt, no questions asked, absolutely, positively replace it now.
Or you will be replacing it in less than six months (see labor comment a line or two above).
09-25-2018, 07:34 PM
#13
Nordschleife Master
Absolutely. Mine was doing the 'slow crank' and the 'short crank & stop' thing.
When I was in doing the pipes, I replaced it. Primarily because I knew it was 'on the way out' and knew I would have to replace it sooner or later.
If it had been working properly, even after 11 years and 104k miles, I probably would have left it.
When I was in doing the pipes, I replaced it. Primarily because I knew it was 'on the way out' and knew I would have to replace it sooner or later.
If it had been working properly, even after 11 years and 104k miles, I probably would have left it.