Crappy Autozone Duralast Starters!!!
 

I bought a new starter and in a pinch at midnight I had to get the Duralast starter from Autozone. Since then, it will not start sometimes after I've been driving for a while and then let the car sit for a few minutes. Heat soak. I can hose the thing down to cool it off and it will fire up.


Question:

If I put a third Duralast starter in with a heat shield will that help? Or should I pay the extra $70 and get an A/C Delco starter and also put a heat shield?

Will the Delco starter be less prone to heat soak?

Re: Crappy Autozone Duralast Starters!!! (Marcho Polo)
 

I can say that I will never buy another part from autozone again, ex starters, fuel pumps, water pumps, etc. I've lost count on how many times I've had to replace parts from them over and over. I get everything from places like bumper-bumper now and never seem to have any problems with there stuff (mostly ac delco parts). Can you get your money back? with that many replacements I'd at least try. :smash:

Re: Crappy Autozone Duralast Starters!!! (Marcho Polo)
 

Aren't lifetime warranties great? Get a "new" one every year.

Re: Crappy Autozone Duralast Starters!!! (85 Dave)
 

Well, as long as it didn't keep stranding me at the most inconvenient times.... :mad

I called Autozone and told them what's been happening. They're going to refund my money and I'm going to another store to get a Delco.

Re: Crappy Autozone Duralast Starters!!! (Marcho Polo)
 

Craig, I had that problem with the 85. That's what brought me to the forum
:cheers: Anyway, as per a forum member and good friend, I got a Tilton High Torque Mini starter. This baby was MADE for heat! I put on a heat shield just to be safe and it's been great! The Tilton was $225 but worth not getting stuck anywhere.

Re: Crappy Autozone Duralast Starters!!! (Marcho Polo)
 

Hey Craig, I've got a NAPA starter, lifetime warrantee, and its held up great over the past year. I've also got the heat shield on it now. $20 more than Autozone, and the differences are amazing. I can tell the bendix, and all of the wiring connectors are new, and the case has been prepped and looks really nice.

I love NAPA, you pay a little more, but I think its worth it.

Re: Crappy Autozone Duralast Starters!!! (Marcho Polo)
 

Hey Craig,
Ive gone through this many times with starters on the vette.I replaced 3 autozone starters already for going bad and when it was having heat soak problems,I removed the last starter and went to an autozone store and wanted a replacement.I told the guy what was wrong with it.Instead he takes it over to their testing machine and it cranks fine over and over.

Then said he cant replace it.I was like WTF??I told him the starter is COLD and is Going to crank just fine until it heats up in the car.He didnt care.Wouldnt help me any.I said fugg it and left.

Went to another autozone store and the guy there knew the heat soak problem and replaced it for me.But I have to say the starters are that bad.Even the delco remans had the same problems.I was told it was the spring inside the solenoid that was swelling from the heat and wouldnt allow the starter to throw the gear forward until it cooled down.Also heard GM had a better/upgrade spring to replace them that is less prone to heat soaking but I havent followed up on it.
(Anynbody Know?)

Not sure if its the spring or the electrical parts inside thats seizing from heat.

Im seriously thinking of ordering a starter solenoid relocating kit from summit racing to see if that helps too.Can mount elsewhere under the hood away from exhaust heat.

(also do you have the Precats Y pipe? The mass of the precats seems to be close to the starter and I havent had heat soak probs as much when i replaced the Y pipe with a 85 style)

Good luck with the delco on.They should call those starters at autozone Dura-Death.
:)

Re: Crappy Autozone Duralast Starters!!! (Marcho Polo)
 

I replaced my starter at 90k with a Delco. I now have 186k with that starter. The autozones make a living by selling junk parts that make them alot of money and will not last.

Re: Crappy Autozone Duralast Starters!!! (Bill's86Coupe)
 

Bill,


I've got a new y-pipe with no pre-cats! That's what really stumps me.... the car is stock with no pre-cats making extra heat there and it still heat soaks! I found a new Delco starter for $40 more, so that's better than what I thought. I also already spoke to the Autozone guy and he said he'd refund my money and core charge since they have the old one and can't give it back! I'll probably be changing it out this weekend. I'm going to go ahead and get a heat shield too.

Re: Crappy Autozone Duralast Starters!!! (thrills)
 

Jenn,

I've seen those Tilton starters! They're pretty nice. Did you buy it locally or mail order? I might be persuaded into that one....!

Re: Crappy Autozone Duralast Starters!!! (Marcho Polo)
 

Craig I got it from Summit :cheers:

Re: Crappy Autozone Duralast Starters!!! (Marcho Polo)
 

Craig...sorry to hear bout this..hope ya get it all to work out

jeff

Re: Crappy Autozone Duralast Starters!!! (Marcho Polo)
 

You should have a heat shield. Thrills is right about the Tilton starters. Some of those are good for 20000 starts vs 5000 for the standard starter and the starter is about 10 lbs lighter. They use a japanese design that is better than the GM one. GM went to that design in 91.

Re: Crappy Autozone Duralast Starters!!! (Marcho Polo)
 

Pay the extra for the Delco part...

I've learned the hard way that they Duralast type of products rarely last and many times are defective out of the box... If you value your labor and inconvience of being stranded as the most inoportune time then go with the Delco as it will be cheaper in the long run...

I learned again the hard way after changing the alternator on my daily driver 3 times in one week... Each one was bad right out of the box...

Re: Crappy Autozone Duralast Starters!!! (thrills)
 

Not getting stuck somewhere is worth a lot sometimes!! :yesnod: :yesnod: :yesnod:

Re: Crappy Autozone Duralast Starters!!! (wake)
 

:yesnod: :yesnod: :yesnod:

I've had nothing but bad luck with the "CHEAP THREE"; AutoZone, PepBoys, and Trak Auto when it comes to any type of parts.

Re: Crappy Autozone Duralast Starters!!! (96LT1)
 

AutoZone can get an IMI mini starter if you want to spend the $160.00. I have one on my 86 and it has not missed a beat and I run the Hooker 2149 Headers. I contacted IMI direct and they gave me the part number. The guy at AutoZone did not know they could get them until I gave him the part number and he put it in his computer. IMI overnights the starter to AutoZone for that price, or at least they did when I bought mine. BTW, went thru 4 autozone alternators in one day to find one good one that would work.

Re: Crappy Autozone Duralast Starters!!! (Marcho Polo)
 

Autozone, Checker, Pep Girls....they buy junk cores for dirt cheap, replace the one part that quit working, clean it up, box it up, and sell it as rebuilt. They give a "lifetime warranty" because they reason that you will own the car 2 years or so and sell it, and thus won't be returning one every six months for the next ten years.

I went with a Delco. 4 years later, no problems. Cranks like new, cold or hot.