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How reliable are high starters?

I have one that worked just 8 weeks.....

Any other experiences ?

I guess like so many things, the life and reliability of an electrical component depends on the maker.

I do not have a high-torque starter on my Mini but we have one on our Triumph GT6. It is a wonderful thing and I am glad I invested in it. It has been in service for about 2-1/2 years without issue.

I had one fail, but customer service was excellent from the company who made it, swapping it for a new one with no problem at Blyton, I've not had a chance to test the new one as the engines out of the car at the moment, but I don't expect to have a problem with it when it goes back in, whilst it was working it certainly span it over far better than the standard ones it had before (which it killed 3 of over a season)

My Powerlite unit has been uber reliable ('reaches out to touch wooden desk) even under extreme racing conditions.....Monza.....in August...60 minute race....nothing on the clock but the makers' name...etc, etc.
The exchange units I bought from the local factor broke down merely by bolting them into the car!

almondgreen wrote:How reliable are high starters?

I have one that worked just 8 weeks.....

Any other experiences ?

I'm sorry to hear you've had such short life from a starter, it does even beat the Prince of Darkness!

I've seen quite a few brands and types of high torque starters, which do you have?

I have a Bosch unit on one of my cars and it has been very reliable (would want to be for the money), on the others, they nearly all run Hitachi units, and these too have been pretty good, though on about 1 in 100 starts, they don't engauge first go.

Rich, has used Brise starters in the past & these have consistently proven to be totally unreliable.

It is a Powerlite one.....
I had a Brise before that worked fine, but changed to Powerlite slimline, because of the better look.
I must verify the thing with 8 weeks, I bought the starter in September last year, but it has not been used since early may...
This is always the problem with NOS items, when they are stored away to long.
I contacted the company selling the starter and asked, if it is normal that the starter stops starting so soon.
I asked, if I get a discount, for the two or three starters I need for the rest of the season.
Did not get an answer until now, but I know that I started some confusion, because a german dealer got a phone call from them....

mk1 wrote:Rich, has used Brise starters in the past & these have consistently proven to be totally unreliable.

if you look up 'unreliable' on the online oxford picture dictionary there is a photo of a brise starter................


blooming things


im using one of mine on my gtm, ive had to push start it three times so far, when its cold its fine, but the starter is so intolerant of excessive duty cycle and ambient temperature that it fails at the most inconvenient times

it actually behaved its self at Blyton, which was a surprise.

in 2005 I bought a brise starter.

it turned the engine over no more than 200 times, as a racer it was used about once a month.
13 months after I purchased it one month out of warranty I went to start it five mins before a race at cadwell park, nothing nothing at all.
so we bumped it of and out I went, it happened to be one of my favourite races,
anyway on the Monday following I contacted brise and they advise to send it back to them.
which I did.
a few day later they called. and advised it was totally shot no hope.
they said it was the older style which was discontinued.
I then told them it hadnt had a hard life and it was out of warranty.

they then said I could have a new one at cost £125 plus vat and post.

this one has proved to be good no issues.


just my 2 pennys worth.