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.

Starter device, principle of its operation

The starter of the VAZ-2114 car (factory index - 5712.3708) is a DC power electric motor, additionally equipped with an overrunning clutch with a gear (Bendix) and a retractor relay.

The principle of its operation is very simple: when the ignition is turned on, voltage is supplied to the solenoid relay. Due to the creation of a magnetic field in it, the armature connected to the plug is retracted.

This fork moves the bendix along the rotor shaft of the electric motor and engages the gear with the flywheel ring gear.

In this case, the armature, fully entering the relay, closes the contacts, and voltage is already supplied to the electric motor itself, which is switched on.

The task of the overrunning clutch is also to protect the electric motor. After starting the power plant, the rotation speed of the flywheel significantly exceeds the speed of the gear. It turns out the opposite effect - the flywheel turns the gear.

And so that the force is not transmitted back, after exceeding the speed of rotation of the electric motor, the gear begins to rotate freely on the shaft until the driver turns off the power to the retractor relay, after which the spring returns the bendix to its original position, disengaging the gear.

Read more: Car starter design.

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.

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:

• the starter armature rotates slowly;
• Uncharacteristic noises are heard when starting the engine.

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!

Price

Prices for starters for VAZ 2114 in online stores are in the range of 2784...4520 rubles, and the cost of replacing it averages 500 rubles.

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

If you installed it yourself

The previous owner of the car, in the absence of such a standard part, could install it himself. Such installation kits are sold in car dealerships. In this case, the electric relay can be located not only in the “standard” location. Finding it without calling the previous owner will not be so easy.

If a breakdown of this part occurs on the way, then you can start the car by closing contacts 87 and 30 (the location and circuit diagram are printed on the top of the relay housing). In this case, you are allowed to use the machine without any restrictions. But at the first opportunity, be sure to fix the breakdown. The operation of the VAZ-2115 ignition system directly depends on the relay.

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

Where is

Where is the VAZ-2115 ignition relay located? It is located in the car interior, to the left of the steering column, under the instrument panel. In order to see it, you need to dismantle the instrument panel. Nearby, to the left of it, there is a relay for turning on the rear fog lights. They are screwed onto the car body stud with a “10” nut and located in special blocks.

The relay also controls the vehicle's washer, heater, rear window defroster, and some other low-current electrical circuits. If these vehicle components are not operating properly, the serviceability of this part should be checked.

The type of electric ignition relay is 90.3777-10, it has four contacts, the control voltage is 12 volts. When buying a new relay, be careful: five-pin analogs designed for 24 volts have a similar appearance. Self-repair of this part is unprofitable due to its low cost.

Video: “Ignition relay VAZ-2115: where is it located?”

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.

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.

Thus, following the exact recommendations, you can replace the starter relay yourself, but before you start removing and disassembling the starter itself, you need to check the indicators described above and make sure that the whole problem is in this particular part of the car, otherwise the wasted effort will not solve the main problem. Problems. If you haven’t identified the problem, then experienced service station employees will always help and do everything necessary for you!

Welcome, friends, to the DIY car repair website. Sooner or later, the time comes when your vehicle requires maintenance or repair, and a part such as a VAZ 2114, VAZ 2115 or some other starter is no exception.

Starter malfunctions occur quite often, either the solenoid relay malfunctions, or the bushings are broken, and it also happens that the VAZ 2114 starter does not turn at all.

Of course, there are different malfunctions and you can turn to specialists at a service station for help, but you can also do a small repair of the VAZ 2114 starter yourself, especially in some cases it is not difficult and you will even save a certain amount of money.