VAZ 2107 starter: device, fault diagnosis, repair and replacement

Assessing the scale of the problem

If, when you turn the key in the ignition switch, the starter does not turn, no clicks or sounds are heard, then the reason may be this:

• the battery is discharged or faulty;
• battery contacts are oxidized;
• problem with the contacts of the starter itself;
• a break in the windings of the device or the electrical circuit of the car.

When the starter turns slowly, clicks of the traction relay are heard, the reason may be this:

• there is a charge in the battery, but it is not enough to properly spin the moving parts of the starter;
• carbon deposits have formed on the contacts or they have oxidized;
• worn brushes or burnt commutator;
• short circuits in windings or brush holders.

Starter brush wear

Repeated operation of the relay and its spontaneous shutdown can be caused by a voltage drop in the network due to oxidized contacts or a malfunction of the traction relay. When the starter turns, but the flywheel does not rotate, there may be several reasons:

• problem with the freewheel (Bendix);
• drive or flywheel teeth are damaged;
• The bearings or springs of the traction relay are worn out.

These are perhaps the main malfunctions and their most common explanations. They are equally valid for carburetor models and injectors.

What to do first?

Disassembling the mechanism is not a priority task, since the starter’s power supply is connected to the battery, so you need to start with it. If the car is not too old, it is unlikely that the problems will lie in the design of the starter itself. It is enough to clean the contacts of the battery or the device itself for everything to work again in the desired mode.

Difficulties begin when the machine has worked for a long time and its operation has not been delicate. If, after a complete check of the electrical equipment of your VAZ 2107, the starter still does not start or continues to work intermittently, then the reason is inside the device and it is necessary to remove and disassemble the starter. On this model, both in carburetor and injection versions, it is installed rather inconveniently. To get to it normally, you will have to drive the car onto an overpass or inspection hole.

Disassembling the VAZ 2107 starter

After the ignition is turned off, you can begin the “operation”. It must be done in the following order:

• remove the ground terminal from the battery;
• if there is a protective mud casing at the bottom, then it must be dismantled;
• remove the electrical wires from the solenoid relay;
• unscrew the three mounting bolts (two upper, one lower);
• remove the starter.

As you can see, nothing complicated. The only thing is that in the case of an injection model, mechanics advise removing the inlet pipe extensions as well. Now we have to disassemble the device itself.

Starter performance check and repair

First of all, you should clean the starter housing from dirt, which inevitably accumulates on it during the operation of the car. Then connect the mechanism to the battery: the “negative” wire to the starter housing, the “positive” wire to the contact of the traction relay. A characteristic click should follow, and a drive gear will appear in the front “cutout” of the casing. Now use an ohmmeter and check the armature windings for opens and shorts. To do this, you need to open the cover at the back of the starter and remove the brush holders with brushes.

Then connect the ohmmeter with one end to the armature body, and the other - alternately to the sectors of the winding. If there are no short circuits or breaks, the instrument needle will fluctuate from a minimum value of 10 kOhm and above.

Now comes the integrity check of the stator winding (in other words, located inside the housing, along the walls of the cylinder). Here you simply connect the ohmmeter contacts to the copper wire terminals. The arrow of the measuring device should “lie” in the area of ​​the highest value if there are no problems. If there are breaks or short circuits in the windings of the starter or solenoid relay, there is no point in bothering with repairs if you have never dealt with electromechanics and have not encountered the technology of manufacturing electric coils. It is best (and easier) to purchase a complete starter and install a new starter.

Checking the integrity of the stator winding

An operation that can really be called a repair is replacing brushes. You can easily find out that they are erased during diagnostics. It is enough to turn the starter on its side when it is connected to the battery and turns properly. If the unit immediately stalls, brush wear is to blame. Replacing parts is simple and accessible even to a beginner. It was already mentioned above that it is enough to remove the cover at the rear of the starter. When the brush holder is removed, the springs in it will themselves push out the brushes, which will hang on the wires. Replacement is a matter of minutes.

The main thing is to never allow oil or fuel to come into contact with brushes or wire windings. Electrics do not tolerate moisture or grease. Therefore, during any operations with starter parts, especially when assembling it, act carefully and, if possible, stay away from liquids and fuels and lubricants.

There is one rare malfunction when the starter turns on, but nothing turns. In this case, the bendix is ​​to blame - a device that prevents the teeth of the drive gear from sharply hitting the flywheel. Its main malfunctions are wear of the rollers, the gear itself, weakening of the pressure spring or unsuitability of the lubricant. This part is inexpensive, changes quickly, and therefore there is no point in bothering with repairs. It is better to purchase it in a store; replacement is done on the “return” when the starter is being assembled.

Sometimes the armature bushings need to be replaced, but this is extremely rare because they are made of very reliable material and wear only appears after a really long period of use. There are only two of them - in the toe and back cover. The process of knocking the bushings out of their seats is usually confusing, but by choosing the right attachment, you won’t ruin anything. Next, a part of the required diameter is lubricated and pushed into the hole. If things get tight, don’t use more force; it’s better to sand the bushing body and try again, otherwise the socket may simply burst.

VAZ 2107 starter repair

If, when you turn the key in the ignition switch, you cannot hear the starter on a VAZ-2107, then you need to check the condition of the battery and make sure that the electrical circuit of its motor is working properly. The car owner can independently diagnose the device. Repair almost does not require the use of special equipment and tools.

Starter connection diagram

The electrical circuit for connecting the starter consists of the starter itself, the battery and the ignition unit. In cars with an injection engine, which is controlled by a controller, there is an additional unit - an auxiliary relay. But on old VAZs that have a carburetor installed, it is not there.

A simple electrical circuit of the starter group looks like this:

If there is an auxiliary relay in the circuit, it is connected after the ignition switch. If the controller allows the engine to start, the auxiliary relay contacts close and current flows to the starter through contact 50.

Starter VAZ-2107

The commutator-type electric motor used to start the engine is located on the side of the crankcase of the power unit. The parts are connected to each other by bolts with a hexagonal head. Power is supplied from the battery.

The power of the device is sufficient to rotate the crankshaft at air temperatures down to -35 ° C (without preheating the oil). The appearance and design of the device are shown in the photo in the spare parts catalogues.

Purpose

The device is designed to force the engine crankshaft at startup. The product is equipped with a special Bendix clutch, which engages with a ring gear mounted on the flywheel of the power plant. The electric motor is controlled remotely using a contact group in the ignition switch through an additional relay.

Diagnostics of VAZ-2107 starter faults

• no rotor rotation;
• clicks when trying to start;
• extraneous sounds when the device is operating.

Starter won't start

The electric motor does not work due to battery discharge or winding failure. When the battery is discharged, the lighting devices do not turn on or the lamps glow dimly, and when you try to start the engine, a click is heard, after which the indicators go out.

Crackling sound when starting the starter

A cracking sound indicates a breakdown of the solenoid relay, which cannot engage the rotor gear with the flywheel ring. The repair consists of checking the wiring and measuring the resistance of the windings. A damaged relay must be replaced.

The starter clicks but does not turn over

The defect indicates insufficient voltage in the power supply due to battery discharge or oxidation of the contact pads. When the battery is low, the clicking sound is accompanied by a decrease in the brightness of the lamps. The defect is observed when there is poor contact between the battery contacts and the wiring terminals.

The starter hums but the engine does not start

The reason for the hum is that the bendix is ​​jammed; the relay cannot move the gear to the flywheel. To check it is necessary to remove the electric motor. After cleaning the starter from dirt, performance is restored.

How to repair a VAZ-2107 starter with your own hands

To repair the starting unit yourself, you must:

• remove and disassemble the device;
• check the condition of the windings, bushings and brushes;
• replace damaged elements;
• perform reassembly and check the correctness of the electrical wiring connections.

Dismantling and disassembly

To remove and disassemble the unit you must:

1. Disconnect the terminals from the battery, and then remove the battery from the engine compartment.
2. Remove the protective shield under the power unit, which limits access to the electric motor.
3. Unscrew the nuts holding the wires to the starter housing.
4. Using a wrench, unscrew the bolts connecting the electric motor housing to the power unit crankcase.
5. Pull the assembly out of the seat.
6. Unscrew the solenoid relay nut and remove the assembly from the electric motor housing.
7. Unscrew the tightening bolts and carefully remove the covers, and then remove the rotor from the stator.

Replacing bushings

Replacement of starter bushings is carried out when the gap between the shaft and the support is increased. Due to a violation of the relative position of the parts, the rotor touches the stator plates. To eliminate the defect, it is necessary to remove worn parts.

The damaged front support is knocked out of the mounting hole with a handy tool, the rear blind bushing is removed with a puller or drilled out on a machine.

To install new elements (made of bronze or composite material), mandrels made of soft material (for example, wood) are used. During installation, do not warp parts or use excessive force.

Before installation, the composite bushings are kept for 5-10 minutes in a container with motor oil, which saturates the porous surface. Bronze bearings are lubricated when installing the rotor shaft.

Replacing electric brushes

To supply voltage to the rotor windings, a flat commutator and brushes (made of a mixture of graphite and copper powder), pressed by springs, are used. The number of brushes corresponds to the number of poles; the design of the elements includes an elastic stranded wire. During operation, the graphite elements wear out and burn, and at the same time, wear appears on the collector.

Replacement of graphite brushes is carried out according to the following algorithm:

1. Remove the back cover of the case.
2. Unscrew the screws securing the brushes (there are 4 elements in total).
3. Remove worn elements and install new brushes.
4. Clean the stator cavity from residual wear products of graphite elements.
5. Install the removed parts in their original places.

Repair of starter retractor relay

The electromagnetic retractor relay ensures the movement of the gear on the rotor, which engages with the flywheel ring gear when the electric starter is connected to the vehicle's on-board network. The device is located on the body of the starting unit; the design of the circuit includes an additional power relay (located under the hood).

If the unit breaks down, it is necessary to check the functionality of the control relay. It is recommended to tighten the fastening screw and make sure that there are no oxides on the contact plates and wiring.

To test the relay, you must close the starter directly. If the rotor rotates, the electromagnetic unit must be replaced. Additional diagnostics involves measuring the voltage of the windings with a test device.

Serviceable coils have a resistance of 75 and 55 Ohms (for the holding and retracting windings, respectively). If the value differs from the factory parameters, then the unit must be replaced; it is impossible to repair the relay with your own hands or in a workshop.

The owner can remove the relay on the installed starter. After disconnecting the battery, the surface of the electromagnet is cleaned of dirt, and then you need to disconnect the wires (secured with nuts).

Then the bolts securing the relay to the motor housing are unscrewed. The assembly is disengaged from the rear cover. The new electromagnet is installed and connected in the reverse order.

Starter assembly and installation

The unit is assembled in the reverse order. The design of some units includes retaining rings or cotter pins that must be installed in place. The connected unit must be checked for functionality. The starter assembly procedure is shown in videos filmed by the owners in the process of self-repairing the unit.

How to repair the starter on a VAZ 2101-VAZ 2107?

Note! Before we begin the repair, let’s note one important detail; this repair article applies only to the starter whose model is “35.3708”!

Disassembly: 1) At the beginning of the operation, use a wrench to unscrew the nut that is located closer to the starter motor, and after unscrewing, remove the starter winding lead from the contact bolt stud, removing the spring and two flat washers.

2) Then unscrew the three screws that secure the solenoid relay to the cover, and after unscrewing, carefully remove the relay while holding its armature.

3) After you have held the anchor so that it does not move from its place, and the retractor relay has been carefully disconnected from it, put the relay aside and grasp the anchor, thereby removing the spring from it.

4) Next, grab the anchor with your hand and pull it straight up, and when it comes out of engagement with the lever that holds it, calmly remove the anchor from the cover and thereby completely remove it.

VAZ-2107 starter repair

In this article we will talk about a radical repair of the VAZ-2107 starter , with the replacement of brushes, bushings, replacement of the solenoid relay and other dances with a tambourine. The signs of a faulty starter are as follows: the engine turns very slowly, the starter bushings are suspected of being worn out, it won’t start at all from some positions—the brushes and, in extremely advanced cases, the armature come under suspicion. The retractor may not work - there is no characteristic click when turning the key to the “start” position and, accordingly, the starter does not turn.

In this manual we will look at a comprehensive repair of the VAZ-2107 starter with a complete overhaul of it and elimination of all faults at once. Another important note - if the starter is tight or does not turn the engine well, first check the condition of the battery, it may be discharged or faulty. Only after making sure that the battery is in good condition can we begin to repair the starter .

I’ll say right away - if the problem was in the winding, I wouldn’t bother - the cost of repairs would be the same as the new one. Important note: ALWAYS disconnect the battery before starting work! So I didn’t photograph the moment of removal, I’ll just describe it, if the starter has already been removed at least once, then it is usually screwed into place with TWO bolts instead of three (any sane person will screw it in exactly this way if at least once in his life he had to unscrew the third ). Both of these bolts (unlike the third one, which is screwed on at the factory) can be unscrewed without crawling under the car, but directly from the engine compartment. They screw the starter to the “bell” of the box. After these two bolts are unscrewed, move the starter to the right and unscrew the terminal going to the retractor from the battery and remove the second thinner wire from the same retractor (it comes from the ignition switch)