I have a 2018 Subaru Outback with 100,000 miles. How long will the starter last. I average 3 trips a day. That works out to starting the car 6 times a day. I live is Minnesota so it gets cold in the winter.
The only way anyone of us could know the answer to that is with a crystal ball… Sorry, and not trying to be an a$$ or anything, but you are asking us to predict the future… As a rule of thumb, starters are not a maintenance item to be replaced at x mileage…
It could have gone out at 40K miles (60K ago), or it might last another 100K miles…
When it clicks the 1st time you go to start it (with a good battery) and then starts normal on the 2nd or 3rd try to crank it, that is your hint it is on it’s last legs…
If you start worrying about all the little things about a car breaking down, then it is time to buy another one, but be warned, the service departments are all full of new car warranty work also…
If you do not have free towing though your ins company, AAA has it…
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Your reply doesn’t surprise me. Just wondering if Subaru has a better track record for this component. Wouldn’t surprise me if the company that makes starters for Subaru makes them for all other auto manufacturers.
Presuming conventional gasoline-engine configuration, not EV or hybrid.
Subaru seems to be getting good marks from Consumer Reports for reliability, so maybe their starter motor is a little more robust than their competitor. However, it seems unlikely they design and manufacture their own starter motors. Most likely they buy them from another vendor.
To increase your chance of good luck, suggest to keep your battery and charging system in excellent condition. Starting attempts with a discharged battery can increase wear and even damage the starter motor.
How long they last tend to vary widely. My 50 year old Ford truck still has its original starter motor. My 30 year old Corolla is on its 4th.
I was not successful in loosening the lower starter bolt. It’s buried but I can get a socket on it and good leverage. I don’t want to break the threaded stud. I tried with engine at room temperature and warm. Any suggestions? I assume the factory did not use loctite red on the threads.
One correction. It a nut that I"m trying to loosen, not a bolt. That’s the reason for the threaded stud. The upper fastener is a bolt, but much easier to get at.
I’m confused, did the starter go out??
Or is this preventative maintenances??
1st spray it down with a good penetrating oil, not WD-40, and let it soak in, may take a few tries…
If you don’t have an impact gun or a heat source, then try to tighten it just a tad before trying to loosen it… You also need to try to jar the nut by hitting/smacking the rachet handle forward and reverse (back and forth) to hopefully break it loose… Just putting constant pressure on it will probably just snap the stud…
It might be cheaper in the long run to just let a pro with the proper tools and experience replace the starter for you…
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For what it’s worth, a similar question came up, maybe 10 years ago. One of our now-departed forum members was ok4450, a master mechanic who had once worked at a Subaru dealership, and he stated that he had never needed to replace a starter on a Subaru.
Do you have a favorite penetrating oil. I have knock er loose in the garage.
You still have not answered a very basic question, did the starter fail or is this a PM thing???
I still have a lot of penetrating oil the company I retired from supplied, so I use it, but it is a commercial product not available to the public…
There are a few pros and DIYer’s on here that live in the rust belt and or high corrosion area’s that can answer what p-oil they have the best luck with…
But I will leave you with this…
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The engine does not turn over like it should. The battery is one year old and holding a charge. The alternator is showing 14.3 volts with all accessories on and at idol speed (rear defroster, seat heaters, lights, AC, radio).
Be curious to know the penetrating oil you used to see if I can find something similar.
Note that I’ve done my own brakes, struts, plugs, oil, etc. Also I was a mechanical technician for 25 years working on guided missile launching systems, naval guns, and other military equipment. I’ve used machine tools (engine lathe, milling machine, etc) in performing my job so I know a thing or two about mechanical stuff.
Added to that, I mountain bike and cross country ski in northwest Wisconsin. Some of the trail heads I drive to are very isolated and don’t have cell coverage so maintaining my vehicle is a priority. Especially in the winter when temperatures drop below 0F.
Any information is appreciated.
Watch some videos on starter replacement for your Outback to understand how to do it.
What is your question right now? We can’t tell from here if your starter is worn out, but it would be surprising. What, exactly, does ‘the engine does not turn over like it should’ mean? Slow? Too many revolutions before starting?
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