VAZ 2115 starter: where is it located, how to remove, replacement

The starter on the VAZ 2115 is used to start the internal combustion engine. It transmits the rotating motion to the crankshaft. If the unit is excessively worn or damaged, it becomes impossible or difficult to start the car.

Therefore, as soon as the first symptoms of a malfunction appear, attention to the unit is urgently required. It is necessary to diagnose the starter and, based on its results, make a decision on further repair or replacement of the unit.

Starter problems and their elimination

In a situation where the starter does not turn, and the traction relays continuously click, the reason why the car does not start is a discharged battery. A low battery charge does not provide sufficient current to the electric motor to crank the crankshaft. To prevent overheating of the electric motor, the traction relay is turned off, which creates a clicking sound.

The appearance of extraneous noise during starter operation, accompanied by a decrease in the intensity of crankshaft rotation, is a consequence of wear or damage to the bushing. To check its condition, it is necessary to disassemble the starter and inspect the contact surface with the shaft for scoring and other damage. If there are any defects, it is recommended to replace the bushing with a new one.

The weak point in the mechanical part is the bendix. Its gear wears out and becomes damaged. The malfunction can be identified by external inspection of the Bendix. Particular attention should be paid to the condition of the gear teeth, which is shown in the photo below.

A common electrical problem is a breakdown to the housing. You can check the insulation using an ohmmeter or multimeter. If the listed devices are not present, then the light bulb connection diagram below will help identify insulation damage.

Attention should be paid to the brush assembly. All brushes should move without jamming. The presence of melts and other thermal or mechanical damage to the guides is unacceptable. If defects are present, replacement is recommended.

The brushes transmit a large current to the commutator plates. This leads to melting and other thermal damage on contacting surfaces. Therefore, during troubleshooting, it is most important to inspect the condition of the commutator and brushes.

The principle of operation of the VAZ traction relay

The starter coil, which receives power from the battery, creates a magnetic field that acts on the armature. It starts to move, compressing the return spring, which engages the bendix, which connects to the splines of the flywheel crown. The contacts of the elements close, the retracting winding remains without power, but the armature remains inside the coil, as it is held by a strong magnetic field. After the engine starts, the coil loses its power and the armature accordingly returns to its original position. In this case, the bendix itself disengages.

There are several options for checking the relay, which can be used to determine whether it is faulty.

In most VAZ cars, the relays are similar to each other, differing only in the way they are attached to the starter. And unfortunately, breakdowns that specifically affect the relay in 95% of cases end in its replacement. But still, before making this diagnosis, you need to make sure of one more serviceability, namely the functionality of the contacts at the place where the wire and terminal are soldered. Often, due to oxidation, the contact is lost, and by soldering it again, you can get rid of the problem of the starter relay breaking, provided that after this procedure the car is fully operational.

For a VAZ 2115, it is more cost-effective to replace the relay than to repair it to the point where it works properly.

Any service station will help you perform such a replacement, but this pleasure is relatively expensive. A much cheaper way would be to do everything yourself. If the owner of the car knows his ward 2115 inside and out, then such a replacement can be made independently without much effort, knowing the specific sequence of actions.

Before starting work, it is necessary to turn off the power from the battery, because while the electrical circuit is being created, it is prohibited to remove the starter, since you can completely burn out the entire wiring of the car.

1. Clean the surface of the starter from dirt and dust;
2. Unscrew the nut from the relay bolt and remove its contact;
3. Unscrew the screws that secure the relay to the starter body;
4. Remove the nuts from the end and divide the starter into 2 parts;
5. Remove the old core and put a new one in its place;
6. Reassemble all components in reverse order and check serviceability by connecting to the battery;
7. Install the starter with the replaced relay on the car engine and check the operation.

Article number and approximate price for the original VAZ 2115 starter

The original VAZ 2115 starter has the internal factory marking 423.3708. For the carburetor version of the car on sale, the unit has article number 2108370801006. Its price is 2,500 rubles.

On VAZ 2115 cars that have an injector, an improved starter is used. It has a planetary gear and provides more stable rotation of the crankshaft. The unit goes on retail sale with article number 21130370801000. Its cost starts from 5,500 rubles.

What usually goes wrong?

On a VAZ 2114 car, you can repair the starter with your own hands in an hour, no more. Provided that all components are replaced with new ones. Most often, starter brushes fail; they rub against the lamellas and wear out. As a result, the rotor does not move when voltage is applied to it. Sometimes even when you turn the ignition key, sparks appear. On new injection cars, which include the VAZ 2114, a gear starter is installed. Its advantage is that its rotor rotates at a higher speed, which makes starting the engine easier.

Its disassembly is practically no different from the procedures that are carried out with a conventional starter. Another typical failure is the destruction of bronze bushings. On a VAZ 2114 car they are located:

1. One is in the rear starter cover; partial disassembly will be required to replace it.
2. The second is in the engine block. It will have to be replaced through a small window in the clutch housing.

If the bushing breaks, then there is no power to the motor armature. The minus voltage is not transmitted from the battery, or the voltage decreases due to resistance. The result is that the rotor rotates much more slowly, and from the outside it may seem as if the battery is dead. These symptoms are typical not only for VAZ cars, but also for cars of other series and even brands - UAZ, Chevrolet, etc.

It will be useful: Why does coolant leak into the VAZ 2107 and how to stop this process?

The pull-in relay allows power to be supplied to the motor windings. But it has two functions, the second is to extend the bendix so that its gear engages with the teeth on the flywheel ring. Bendix is ​​an element that transmits torque to the engine crankshaft from the rotor.

It is based on an overrunning clutch and a gear, with spiral-shaped splines inside. A frequent breakdown is the destruction of the overrunning clutch. As a result, the gear moves both clockwise and counterclockwise. Although it should rotate freely in one direction.

And practically “incurable” breakdowns are complete or partial destruction of the rotor, stator, or their windings. These are the kind of breakdowns in which repairs are not much cheaper than the entire starter assembly.

Catalog number and cost of starter from third-party manufacturers

According to reviews from car owners, the quality of VAZ 2115 starters does not correspond to their cost. There are a large number of defects among the products. Therefore, experienced drivers recommend purchasing analogues of branded products from third-party manufacturers. The best alternative options for the original starter for the VAZ 2115, which have proven themselves well on the car, are presented in the table below.

Table - Good analogues of the original VAZ 2115 starter

Malfunctions

During the operation of the vehicle, the following malfunctions of the starter are possible, which may lead to its replacement:

• overrunning clutch is faulty;
• short circuit of the stator or armature windings;
• significant wear of the brushes.

These malfunctions are characterized by the following symptoms:

If you ignore the slow rotation of the armature, of course, you won’t run into expensive repairs in the future, but you can run into trouble like this. But in case of noise, there is no need to postpone repairs.

It is quite possible, for example, that a malfunction may occur such as breaking out the teeth of the gear of the overrunning clutch mechanism, and here you can already run into an expensive replacement of the flywheel. However, before buying a new starter, you need to make sure that it is not possible to repair it!

Required Tools

In order to perform replacement and repairs yourself, you will need the tools from the table below.

Table - Tools required to replace the front strut

Characteristic

Every car has an ignition system. However, it's not just spark plugs, a coil and armored wires. This system also includes a starter. The VAZ-2115 is also equipped with it. On Samara-2 cars it is of a gear type. The element is assembled with a traction relay and a drive mechanism. The starter interacts with

and the engine, being a kind of intermediate link. The main purpose of the element is to create the necessary torque for the engine, which will give the internal combustion engine the ability to work independently.

Starter replacement process

In order to remove and mount the starter on a VAZ 2115, you must follow the instructions presented below.

• Apply the parking brake, securing the vehicle in place.
• Open the hood.
• Remove the negative terminal from the battery. To make work easier, many car owners recommend dismantling the battery. In this case, you will need to disconnect the positive terminal from the battery.
• Disconnect the terminal block of the mass air flow sensor.

• To gain access to the place where the starter is located, you will need to remove the air filter by first disconnecting the air duct.

• Remove the metal corrugation of the air duct from the fasteners.

• Disconnect the connector from the solenoid relay and unscrew the power wire.

• Using a ratchet with an extension, unscrew the starter mountings.

• Remove the starter from the engine compartment.
• Install a new node to replace the old one.

• Reassemble everything in the reverse order of removal.
• Check the functionality of the starter by performing a test run of the internal combustion engine.

When trying to remove the starter, car owners often encounter sticking of its fasteners. In this case, access from the bottom of the machine will be required. To do this, the VAZ 2115 should be installed on a lift, inspection pit or overpass.

Closing with a screwdriver

Closing the starter with a screwdriver can only be done if the cause of the breakdown is the solenoid relay.

You can recognize such a breakdown by clicking from under the hood

when you turn the key. This means that the retractor relay is turned on, but the drive gear does not turn the crankshaft. In such a situation, nothing can be done other than jumping the starter with a screwdriver and thus applying voltage to the windings.

To close the starter using a screwdriver, you need to set the gearshift lever in the neutral position and tighten the brake. Under these conditions, the screwdriver will act as a pull-in relay. We insert a screwdriver between the power terminals, closing them.

In order to start the car directly through the starter, it is best to resort to the help of an assistant. So this will make things easier. One will insert the screwdriver, the other will close the contacts. With an assistant, everything will go much faster and easier.

Device

The VAZ-2115 starter itself consists of the following elements:

• Stator.
• Rotor (armature).
• Contact plate.
• Brushes with holder.
• Traction relay.
• Drive mechanism.

Power is supplied to the starter windings through a traction relay. So, when you turn the ignition key, a starting current (about 500 amperes) flows from the battery to the relay. Next, this mechanism moves the drive element.

The engagement includes the starter drive gear and the flywheel ring gear. A few revolutions are enough for the unit to start successfully (of course, if you have a working starter). VAZ-2115 has a simple design of this element. However, malfunctions with it should not be ruled out. So, let's look at why the starter on a VAZ-2115 car does not start and what to do about it.

Doesn't turn at all

If, when you turn on the ignition, the armature does not rotate and the traction relay does not operate, check the voltage in the battery. A minimum of 12 volts is required to start successfully. The starter takes a lot of energy from the battery. That's why it's so important to keep it in good condition. There are several ways to check the voltage on the battery.

The best method is a multimeter. When the contacts are closed, the device will display the result. But if there is no such device, and there is no voltage indicator on the panel, you can use the old-fashioned method. To do this, take a 12-volt car light bulb and a pair of wires. With bare contacts it is closed to the terminals. If the voltage is 12 volts, it will light up properly. Anything less will burn very dimly.

The next reason why the traction relay does not turn on is loosely tightened wire tips (both on the battery side and on the starter side). Perhaps the contacts have oxidized there. Use a special cleaner or sandpaper. Experts do not rule out a break in the pull-in winding. If cleaning the contacts does not help and the starter does not turn, the VAZ-2115 requires replacing the traction relay. We'll look at how to do this at the end of the article.

Main technical characteristics of the device

One of the characteristics of a starter is its power. Its volume is determined by how large the moment of resistance to turning the crankshaft is and the frequency (minimum) of its rotation at which flashes form in the cylinders, this is called the starting frequency.

The minimum starting frequency depends on the type of engine; for diesel engines it is 100–200 rpm, and for carburetor engines it is 40–50 rpm.

The starter is equipped with four magnetic poles and four brushes (two negative, two positive). Every two excitation windings are connected in parallel and, accordingly, magnetize two poles at once. The starter is turned on by electromagnets.