1.8 starter motor won't turn when hot...

(I have already posted this in another thread about overheating problems, but I will start a new thread as well in case that one is out of date.  Hope that's alright - I'm a newbie.)

I have a very strange problem with my Mk1 Cabrio.
She runs really well, and shows no signs of overheating.
But after a good highway run, if I stop and switch off (eg to fill up), she WILL restart if I am pretty quick about it. But if I take my time and get a coffee or visit the restroom as well, (anything above 10 mins) then she WILL NOT start. Starter motor doesn't budge. Dash lights up and all, but nothing from the starter motor.
I have to wait 30-40 mins for the motor to cool completely (I can hurry it by lifting the bonnet). Then she's right as rain again.

Now, the funny thing is, this is the second car I have had with this problem. The first was a Beamer. In that case I spent a fortune on garage bills until one day when I was stuck, some guy smacked on the starter motor solenoid with a spanner and she came back to life. His theory was: she runs fine, no overheating, but when she stops, heat builds up under the bonnet, the solenoid plunger thingy heats up and sticks fast. I replaced the solenoid, and never had a problem again.

Now I have the Golf with the same problem, and the irony is, I can't get a mechanic here in Belgium to simply replace the darn solenoid, because they all have other ideas (which all cost me a fortune!).

I wish I was mechanically minded!

Regards,
Nick

Its easier to change the starter motor and be done with it,sometimes the actual motors go lazy,my GX was slow when it was warm,but it always started  :wink:
Bert

I just had this problem on my mk1. The motor would turn over all be it slowly when cold, but when the engine warms up - so does the starter and i would be lucky to get a few turns out of it.

I think the heat seizes the motor - the final straw was on sunday when the bugger wouldnt start after a trip to the shops, so the RAC man came out and put his 100A pack direct onto the terminals of the starter - it turned over but with a lot of smoke.

Now changed it for a new RTX one from euro car parts, and it the biz, turns over like a rocket!

Hope this helps.
Mark.