How long a starter motor last in 3800 v6 ?
- Thread starter easym
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IIRC having one starter fail in close to 5 decades of driving now. If I didn't sell the cars before that mileage they all went a lot longer. With the quality of the parts they sell today, and the quality of rebuilds, you might be stocking garbage.
Hiw long is a piece of string?
They last until they quit.
I’d check stock at your local stores. I’m going to guess that GM used the same starter for a decade or more, possible across more than just 3800’s, and finding a parts store that doesn’t have one on the shelf might be challenging.
I know it’s tempting to replace wear items before they quit, but I don’t think this starter is a known wear item. Run it until it has problems. Otherwise you might wind up with a spare starter, alternator, water pump, transmission, struts, etc on the shelf—and then someone rear ends your car, and you bought all those spare parts that you won’t get to use, and will likely sell at a loss.
I know it’s tempting to replace wear items before they quit, but I don’t think this starter is a known wear item. Run it until it has problems. Otherwise you might wind up with a spare starter, alternator, water pump, transmission, struts, etc on the shelf—and then someone rear ends your car, and you bought all those spare parts that you won’t get to use, and will likely sell at a loss.
And whatever new or rebuilt starter you buy as a replacement, chances are it won't last as long as the one that came on the car originally.
I went through three parts-store rebuilt starters in 5-6 years on my Impala.... I decided if I have to replace it again, I'll just go get one from the junkyard. Chances are, the car in the junkyard isn't there because of a bad starter!
I went through three parts-store rebuilt starters in 5-6 years on my Impala.... I decided if I have to replace it again, I'll just go get one from the junkyard. Chances are, the car in the junkyard isn't there because of a bad starter!
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My wife's bff works at Toyota in CA and her husband at Toyota as well as a tech. He told me never replace a starter, always rebuild the one that came with the car if its original. 1 it costs $20, 2 it will be your only shot at having a part that was as good as what came with the car. Exactly what you say.
What did I do? I bought a "new" ACDelco which failed 2X within months. I noticed it was the field wire fraying, so once I protected it with electrical tape, the 3rd one lasted until the car was junked this year (at least 7 years).
My wife's GM 3.6 just had the starter go this winter, at about 11 years and 110k. I let a shop do it as a pre-cat has to be removed to access it. Has a 2 year warranty....I coulda saved by providing the part, no warranty....
No, do not stock up on a starter. The one you have on the vehicle could outlast the car. It is of higher quality than most replacements too. There's no way to predict its lifespan. My 87 truck still has the original starter. Wait till it acts up.
Only starters in the last 20 yrs. I've had fail was due to being in a salt zone and corrosion of the braided copper connector from the solenoid into the motor itself in a 5.7 and 5.3 chevy. Old job fleet 4.3 starters lasted well over 250k miles with repeated daily start/stops doing home service calls.
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You may never use it, but you won't have any problem reselling an OEM starter at at a profit in the future especially if they are out of production. Considering the effects of inflation, the best time to have bought your spare starter was yesterday.
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my 99 Cavalier needed a starter motor right up around the 250,000 mile mark... Might have lasted longer but the check valve in the fuel pump assembly would bleed down over nite so it would take extended cranking on first startup of the day in order for it to run..
OTOH my 2017 Nissan Versa had a starter motor fail in the 60,000 mile range.. so much for vaunted Japanese reliability.
Other than that I can't remember changing a starter motor on anything else in the last 30 years.I've owned four 3800 GMs over the years, my MIL had owned two. Some of them had 200,000+ miles when sold, and many years old. Never had starter trouble with any of them.
My mother’s LeSabre had almost 300k when it was totaled out by a deer. Never replaced the starter.
The only starter I’ve replaced on a personally owned vehicle was my 2003 Silverado and it was 7yo. Drove it for another 9 with a parts store reman. I think that truck had about 160k miles on it when I sold it.
The only starter I’ve replaced on a personally owned vehicle was my 2003 Silverado and it was 7yo. Drove it for another 9 with a parts store reman. I think that truck had about 160k miles on it when I sold it.
They either last 70k or almost 400k. But sometimes it's just the solenoid. If the starter sounded and worked perfectly the last time it worked then magically doesn't even click the next time it's the solenoid. Changed the solenoid on my factory starter after i think 306k and the factory starter is still fine at 334k.
Toyota says 30000 starts. If you start your car twice/day, that could be 41 years LOL
I shouldn't be putting this out into the universe but I've had my car since 2000 and haven't replaced it.
ls1mike
$50 Site Donor 2024
6 different 3800s, two I ran to over 250,000 miles. I have never replaced a starter.
Not sure why you have an obsession with just starter? There are literally millions of these starters sitting in salvage yards. Millions of these engines still running around the country every day. Bearings, brushes, and other wearables will be available for the foreseeable future.
I would focus my energy on other items
Also you have a W-body GM car a very heavily produced vehicle where the salvage parts should be available for a long time.
I would save your money for the inevitable 4T65E rebuild soon.
I would focus my energy on other items
Also you have a W-body GM car a very heavily produced vehicle where the salvage parts should be available for a long time.
I would save your money for the inevitable 4T65E rebuild soon.