Starter motor

Check the battery voltage firstly, being a cold day could have drained the battery if it is already old or weak. There could have been enough power to throw the starter out but not at the full force to engage into the starter ring gear. The starter would not turn unless the solenoid engaged first anyway. Starters usually give trouble at around the 70 -80,000 miles mark. I would suggest a local starter and alternator shop to refurbish this if the problem persists and, or charge the battery up and see.

Hi, If the motor spins then there is not nothing wrong with the solenoid. The solenoid has to engage to bridge the contact to spin the motor. I learned this looking for the same fault. Mine did the exact same thing and became worse over time to a point where it was just spinning but nothing happened. Found out that the clutch on the starter was worn and slipping. Cheers

Remove starter motor and take it to a good repair place? Though would have thought with all these 280 engines being ripped out,for 606s,no second hand examples? Certainly would not pay £600!

Hi John, I have a spare starter motor but it's off of a GD300, I'm not all sure it will be compatible with the petrol engine but if it fits your welcome to it. Paul  

Diesel OM617 and petrol M110 starters are not compatible.

There is no reason in the world to fit a new one, have yours reconditioned including a new solenoid and new bendix.

There is no point fitting a second-hand one unless it has a new solenoid and bendix.

It is a VERY tedious job to remove the starter from a 280GE. To make life a LOT easier remove the front propshaft first. Probably not a job for the inexperienced (no insult intended).

Eddie.

Open 13 spanner, lots of muscle and lots of patience.

John

M12 Allen Head Bolt, usually M10 Allen Key Size

MB list the Starter Motor A003 151 99 01 / 80 as £559 + VAT for a ReMan exchange option and Germany have 60 on final stocks

Shame your dealer didn't offer you the Brand New option A003 151 99 01 as they list as £141 + VAT and Germany have 12 in stock

Unusual pricing as it's normally the opposite but worth checking!

Oh well guess you are sorted now anyway?

Gav

they are difficult to remove and to refit, ideally you need someone with small hands

 

That's interesting. Similar thing happened to me with a radiator for a 463. However, the price difference was not that great, then.

 

 

One other tip - removing prop shaft will require a 14mm for bolt, 13mm for nut. Life is made immeasurably easier if you have an open ended racheting spanner set as it will reduce the job per end from about an hour to 10 minutes!)

From memory, refitting torque for the bolts is 35Nm and if you are refitting the original bolts and nuts (they should really be replaced on such a critical part!), clean them well and use medium strength locktite (you might need a little heat to remove the old ones too).

Yes as there are only 2 - solenoid +ve and earth, at most a single inline push fit coupling needed (a halford staple)

From memory M10 Capscrews?

Done properly, that means setting the right torque (50Nm is one figure I can find),  but in practice as that article says it will be difficult given their location - snuck up quite tight, but not 'everything you can give it' (which is the usual mistake people make thinking that 'tighter-is-righter' when in fact stretched bolt threads [or worse stretched hole threads] mean no pre-load and consequently worse retention). Blue locktite (medium strength -don't overdo it!) if you want to be belt and braces.