Genuine BMW 12417616500 Starter – BMW

A starter is an electric motor mounted on the rear of an internal combustion engine that is used to turn the engine allowing it to start and run under its own power. To start the engine, the starter must be capable of producing up to 200 ft-lbs of torque and requires a fully charged battery to power it.

Starters fail when the solenoid can no longer engage the drive gear to the engine’s ring gear or when the starter motor will not turn over. Starters often fail without warning but give a few tells when they are about to stop working. If, when attempting to start your BMW, the engine turns over and stops, but on the next attempt starts the engine, the starter motor is likely to fail. If when starting the engine, the engine starts and the starter drive gear does not disengage the ring gear, and the starter sounds like it is continuing to run, the starter solenoid is getting stuck and is likely to fail. Oil leaking onto the starter and corroded cable connections can cause the starter solenoid and motor to short out.

Important Note: A weak battery, loose battery cables, corroded battery terminals, and frayed or broken ground straps can mimic a failed starter and should be thoroughly inspected before replacing a suspected failed starter.

BMW Starters.