I will leave the reader's to make up their own mind as to how we are given service by the local supplier of Yanmar parts.


This is a starter motor off a Yanmar GM10 diesel engine. The engine is about sixteen years old but used as a back up power unit, both 12 volts DC and 220 volts AC, it has done no more than 450 hours or so.

The make of the starter is Hitachi, the model number of the starter motor is S114-303, I see no sign of a number on the solenoid but a USA site gives me AHSH16010 and a price in the USA of just U$12.33, which will now be R151.00 plus our local Vat @ 14%.

The starter motor is fine, the solenoid is faulty and knowing that a service shop will charge by the hour plus the parts I though it may be best just to buy a new solenoid?

The agents are Seascape ( ex IMS) near Cape Town, on phoning them I am told that the solenoid is not offered as a spare part, I must buy the complete unit, even before I asked the price I thought this to be bad news and in fact very poor service from the main importers into South Africa.

Here the complete starter motor and its solenoid costs R8658.00 plus Vat at 14% which will add R1212.12, giving a total of R9870.12 !!!  which is U$805.72 at the very poor exchange rate to the U$ we have right now.

So why do I find that in the USA prices for the starter motor and solenoid start around U$67.00 and up to U$97.00 ( estimate average ) we are poorly served here I think?

So in South Africa we pay U$805.72 and in the USA U$97.00 , read that again, these prices are shocking and just do not add up, or is there a huge import surcharge  we know nothing about?

Found today and on Amazon.com

Roy

Using some motor trade friends I was able to locate the correct 12 volt solenoid, the cost was R250 and that included 14% Vat (tax) so before tax I paid around U$17.90, which is fine by me, so why do the Yanmar agents not stock them I ask?

Bad service?


The starter motor is now at a well known auto electritians for a full service, brushes etc, before being refitted and back into use.