Polo 6N/6N2 1.0 MPI starter motor repair (pic heavy)

Ronnie Beck

Starter motor was playing up a bit. Apparently a common enough problem with this and other similar VAG engines.

It wasn't retracting fully and there was a loud grinding noise every time you start the car. Occasionally it would fail to engage properly and just spin and grind on the flywheel making an even louder noise.

Things I used:

3/8 drive ratchet with 10 and 13mm sockets. 7mm socket needed to take apart the motor itself.
13mm spanner
Brake cleaner
Multipurpose grease
Cotton buds
Vice grips
Flat head screwdriver


First thing was to dissconnect the battery + terminal.

Then get under the car. , remove the small wiring loom from the clip at the top of the bracket and then the bracket itself. Just the single 13mm bolt in the centre of the pic. This is directly above the sump bung/drivers side drive shaft..


You can now get at the terminals on the solenoid. Remove the connector by pinching the metal clips on either side and pull it off.


Then the dust cover on the terminal. Probably the hardest bit of the job! Ended up pulling it off with a vice grips. Then remove the 13mm bolt on the terminal.


Looking from above. There are 2 bolts and a nut and bolt holding the starter on. Remove the two bolts and loosen the nut and bolt from above. The black plastic mount attached to the bolts pops off to let you get a socket on.



Then get back under and remove the nut while supporting the weight of the starter. Slide ito the right and out past the sump. Comes out handy enough.

Ronnie Beck

You can see where it was grinding on the flywheel.



Undo the 2 7mm bolts on the motor and the 13mm nut and spacer on the terminal on the solenoid.

Slide the motor forward a bit. You need to stick in a flat head and knock the fork of the two lugs where the arrow is. They pop off easy enough.


You'll then have to squeeze the large bearing between the fork and you'll have your starter in two bits. Clean and grease all the gears and bearings and moving parts on the shaft. I dripped some 3 in 1 oil into the main bearing as it sounded a bit rough.


All cleaned and greased



Use this sort of angle to get the main bearing back through the fork. Then reattach the fork.


Stick the 2 long bolts back in and reconnect the terminal and your done. Then refit the starter.

Did it work?