starter issue, how do I tell if it's going bad? Options

[914 RZ-1]

My car wouldn't start the other day. Battery is good. The starter would not even turn over, but I could hear the fuel pump working. Radio also worked. I was able to push start it to get home. When I got home, I shut the engine off and then tried to start the car. The starter worked. Haven't tried it since, though.

1. How do I tell if the starter is going bad? It sounds ok, but maybe I'm not listening for the right kind of sounds.

2. I'll check all the connections and post my findings as well, but what should I check: terminals on starter, what else?

3. Someone told me to tap on the starter with a hammer. Where? What am I trying to do?

4. Is it better to rebuild or replace? How do I tell if a place is any good? Got a recommendation for a local place, but just based on price.

Thanks in advance!

[Series9]

There has been a ton of speculation. Less reading and more testing, please.

Just do the first test and we can move on from there.

Crawl under the car and jumper the starter.

Does the starter work or not?


Electrical problems are solved by observations of logic, not speculation.

Do the test. Report the result. I have a simple list to give you if he starter works via the "screwdriver" test, but this is a massive waste of time if all you need is a new starter.