starter motor teeth? 11 or 9?

[wpoll]

Given that the 12-tooth would spin the motor faster but with less torque than the 9-tooth, and you have a diesel, I'd guess that the diesel models use the 9-tooth and the petrol models use the 12-tooth.

[omodos]

Thanks i will find an answer soon....last test before i start to swap things out is run jumper cable from ground lug on chassis in engine bay to metal part on engine block...see if that improves starter speed....if yes apparently have a bad ground somewhere

[oldskewel]

Originally Posted by wpoll

Given that the 12-tooth would spin the motor faster but with less torque than the 9-tooth, and you have a diesel, I'd guess that the diesel models use the 9-tooth and the petrol models use the 12-tooth.

Logic on the torque vs. # of teeth makes perfect sense. But I'll add that the starter in my 2001 3.0i (US, gasoline version) seems to be completely different from this, rather than the same thing with a different pinion gear. Mine is a Bosch.

So, NOT for the 3.0d, but for my 3.0i:

Part numbers: BMW 12-41-7-501-738 (although on the original part itself, next to the BMW logo, it says 7 501 668 ???). Bosch PN: SR-0474-N. On the starter shell itself (original, with a 2001 date on it, made in Germany): Bosch 0 001 108 190. Photo below.

So yeah, even with the original part in hand, sometimes numbers don't exactly match with what they "should" be. I don't have any pics of my pinion gear (not that it would really help on a 3.0d), but somehow I remember it having 9 teeth.

When I had everything apart earlier this year, I inspected and cleaned things up and replaced the brushes assembly in it (4 brushes still had about 70% life left in them at 186k miles, so it was definitely an optional repair I did). That starter is a beast, much like just about everything else I came across on this engine.