'95 850 GLT Eating Starters?

My 850 seems to be eating starters?

About 1 year is all I am getting, and then they go "Click"

If I whack them with something..2x4, mallet, etc... then they start right
up.

What is it... are they just making ones that last anymore, or is this a
symptom of something else?

The car start right up if it cranks at all. The light don't dim a lot as if
the current was too high... It either starts immediately, or goes "click"
and nothing in between.

Any Ideas? So far they all have been Warranty replacements... but is a day
without my car, and occasionally getting stranded with a 2x4....

Bob

 

Are you buying crappy rebuilt starters from Schucks or some other chain
autoparts store? I made the mistake of buying cheap rebuilds of things a
couple times and had a similar experince.

 

Nope, I am getting supposedly "New" starters from the Dealer.

Bob

 

I'd bet a nickel you've got a broken tooth on the flywheel. Once in a while
you get unlucky that the car stops with the starter between the teeth and
jams on start. If it's a manual, you can try jogging the flywheel a bit
with a push start.

 

My father used to have a POS Renault that the starter/solenoid would do
this often. There were a couple of broken teeth, he would push it a bit
and then give the starter/solenoid assembly a good whack with a
2x4...always fired right up after that.

 

My old concept was new ring gear new starter drive gear maybe one is worn
badly .Otherwise does someone hold the key on while it has started ,amazing
how many do this ..?

 

Starters usually turn the flywheel. If the flywheel is mangled, the new
starter won't work unless you replace the flywheel also.