Warranty

Warranty

For a Printer-Friendly version of this warranty, please click here.

Sky-Tec warrants its starters to be free from defects in materials and workmanship for a period of two years from the date of purchase. Sky-Tec will repair or replace any starter it determines to have failed under the terms of this warranty if and only if the customer's original starter is sent to Sky-Tec for evaluation.

Alternatively, Sky-Tec may offer a warranty exchange program to any customer requiring expedited replacement. The customer will be responsible for purchasing a replacement starter directly from Sky-Tec and returning their original starter directly to Sky-Tec for evaluation. If the starter is found to have failed under the terms of this warranty, appropriate credit will be given to the customer for the value of the starter plus domestic UPS Ground shipping charges. Customers will be responsible for any additional expedited shipping charges. Alternatively, a customer may receive core credit regardless of warrantability of the returned starter but a) any credit offered is at Sky-Tec's sole discretion and b) core must be an applicable Sky-Tec starter. Sky-Tec does NOT give core credit for non Sky-Tec starters.

To be considered eligible for warranty credit, DO NOT PURCHASE A REPLACEMENT STARTER FROM A DEALER. Sky-Tec will not offer warranty credit for replacement starters purchased through a dealer. All warranty claims must be handled directly with the manufacturer, Sky-Tec.

What to do

If you suspect a starter to be defective, consult the Aircraft Troubleshooting Guide supplied. Before returning a starter to Sky-Tec for service, you must first obtain a return authorization electronically online.

Starters returned to the factory with a valid Return Authorization number will usually be repaired or replaced the same day as received. Sky-Tec makes no warranty as to suitability of its products for the intended application.

Warranty Details

Sky-Tec warrants its starters to be free from defects in materials and workmanship for a period of two years from the date of purchase.

Sky-Tec Warranty is voided if:

	A starter that is used in the wrong application*,
	Customer attempts to service the starter in the field by removing or replacing any components not specifically instructed and/or supplied by Sky-Tec,
	The starter is determined to have failed by application of voltage in excess of amount specified on starter name plate (physical evidence: armature will be splayed and/or exploded due to the forces of over-rotation and the associated centripetal force WITHOUT discoloration of commutator bars or warping of brush insulator),
	The starter is determined to have failed by application of voltage in excess of cranking times specified on starter tag (shipped with all starters) which reads: “Crank for no more than 10 seconds then allow 20 seconds cool-down. Repeat up to 6 times. Then let starter cool for 30 min.” (physical evidence: copper armature bars are discolored to white/purple hues, brush wires are discolored similarly, brush insulator is warped or scorched, smell of burnt metal evident, and/or melted insulation in motor area). This condition is often caused by the aircraft’s starter contactor (solenoid) sticking “closed” beyond the pilot’s intended period of cranking,
	The starter is determined to have failed by a counter-rotational force caused by the engine’s ignition system failing to retard all sparks at or past piston TDC during the cranking period aka “kickback” (physical evidence: bent or broken mount, broken or displaced magnets, broken or chipped brush assemblies, broken drive components and/or excessively worn or damaged drive gear teeth)**,
	The starter has any foreign substance located internally including motor oil, cleaning agents or foreign particles not found in the starter’s normal composition (physical evidence: presence of substance within starter causing solenoids or motor brush assemblies to wear prematurely and/or function improperly),
	A starter returned to Sky-Tec under warranty-exchange is determined to perform to specifications (i.e. the starter is good). Warranty applies to starters with defects, not good starters. Core credit may be given to the customer should the core be determined to be rebuildable at Sky-Tec’s sole discretion,
	The starter is damaged by impact, shock, excessive shaking or other physical abuse (physical evidence: dents to starter components, loose or stripped connection terminals, and bent components not caused by defects in components, design or workmanship).

* Ring gear/starter mismatches are the sole responsibility of the installing mechanic. A starter that has been mounted to an engine can no longer be returned for credit as a new starter and will be considered to be a used starter by the factory. CHECK FOR ALL FIT/CLEARANCE ISSUES BEFORE INSTALLING THE STARTER. Once mounted, some starters may be converted to the proper model by Sky-Tec's Repair Station at the starter owner's sole expense (time/materials cost). Obtain a Return Authorization before returning any starter to Sky-Tec for conversion.

** Sky-Tec will waive the kickback exclusion above for up to two years from date of installation of the starter only for those aircraft with a valid logbook entry showing they were operating E-MAG Ignition's Electronic Ignition solution during the time of starter failure due to kickback.

Sky-Tec cannot and never will warrant damage to non-starter components or any non-starter-related expense(s) including labor, inconvenience, transportation or loss of business due to any starter failure.

Once a starter is received and evaluated by the Sky-Tec Repair Station, the sender will be contacted via telephone or other comparable means with the results of the evaluation. If the sender fails to provide service instruction (including authorization and payment) for repair and return of the starter within 30 days, the starter may be scrapped and disposed of at Sky-Tec's sole discretion.

Additional Notes for Sky-Tec High-Torque Inline (NL Model) Starters Only:

The NL starter is designed to respond to kickback and other destructive engine cranking anomalies by shearing a shear pin on the starter's internal lay shaft. Sky-Tec will not warrant any damage to non-starter components (ring gear, etc.) should the shear pin fail to shear. However, should the pin fail to shear causing the starter nose housing to crack, Sky-Tec will warrant the replacement of the nose/mount housing(s) for a period of up to two years from date of purchase under the standard warranty terms above (return to factory for repair/replacement).

The NL starter is designed to fit nearly every Lycoming aircraft application by simulating the location of various mounting points found on the old, heavy OEM starters. As such, NL starters feature four machined aluminum bosses cast into the starter mount. These bosses are not required for proper function of the NL starter but serve only to support accessories on/around the starter. If a specific aircraft installation requires the alteration or removal of one or all four of these bosses, customers may remove the bosses without loss of any warranty priviledges. Acceptable means of removal include cutting and/or grinding without incurring any damage to other starter components or features. However, starter damage or starter failure due to the improper or inappropriate removal of these bosses will not be covered under the factory warranty.


	We Fly Behind them AND We Stand Behind Them Too Sky-Tec starters have a very successful service record in the industry. All Sky-Tec starters are engineered to exceed 2700 hours of service before requiring overhaul.


	Proof in Numbers Of the more than 60,000 Sky-Tec starters currently flying, fewer than 5% come in each year for maintenance. Nearly all of these are worn-out and simply need repair/overhaul or are victims of kickbacks or overcranks. Component failure rates (first two years of service) run less one quarter of a percent of all starters.

[ Lycoming Starters ] [ Continental Starters ] [ Rotax ] [ Starter Run On Light Kit ] [ Sky-Tec Fit Guide ] [ Troubleshooting ] [ Certification Notes ] [ Tech Talk ] [ Customer Care ] [ News ] [ About Us ] [ Contact Us ]