Date:         Tue, 30 Oct 2018 02:00:31 -0400
Reply-To:     Karl Mullendore <tdiguru@WESTYVENTURES.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Karl Mullendore <tdiguru@WESTYVENTURES.COM>
Subject:      Re: Replacing my cheap Chinese starter after one year

On Mon, 29 Oct 2018 16:02:37 -0700, Stuart MacMillan <stuartmacm@GMAIL.COM>
wrote:

>Buyer beware with these.
>
>
>
>My Latrical new Chinese $75 diesel starter never worked quite right from day
>one. Early on it failed to retract the gear fully a few times, but that
>stopped. After 10,000 miles it occasionally bogs immediately, failing to
>turn over the engine at all, and now when it bogs the motor continues to
>spin (unengaged with the ring gear, fortunately) and does not stop with the
>ignition off!  I have to rap on the solenoid or remove the battery negative
>to get it to stop spinning.
>
>
>
>It's not the ignition switch or a battery problem, there is a short in the
>solenoid. I have a Bosch rebuilt I'm installing now, and I know these are
>not without problems either. But, with the cheap Chinese starters you are
>getting what you pay for, but as they say, your results may vary.
>
>
>
>Stuart

I've had great luck with the Latrical / California starters, they are better
quality than some of the cheaper copies. Two years testing with one on my
personal vans and 20 more out in the market attached to my adaptors, no
complaints so far. Perhaps you got a 'dud', if so you should have sent it
back for warranty withing the year. Many see the same or worse from Bosch
reman starters at more than 3X the cost.
Karl