How to Replace a Car Starter

How to Replace a Car Starter

Changing a car starter can be difficult and time-consuming. If you are confident in your ability to perform the task yourself, follow these steps. Before deciding to replace the starter, check several other components first.

Changing a starter can be a difficult, time-consuming job. If you're confident that you're able to change the starter yourself, read on! You should check several other parts before deciding it's time to change the car starter.

• Check the condition of the battery. A weak battery cannot turn the starter over. Make sure the battery is at full strength before blaming the starter. Your car's instrument cluster should indicate a low battery with either a warning light or ammeter.
• Also check the battery connections, the wires going to the starter, and the starter connection. The most important wire is the large one running down the back of the battery—the wire that goes from the battery to the starter. All connections should be snug. Check that the insulation on the wires is intact. Tighten any connections loose enough to wiggle by hand.
• Check the starter solenoid. The starter solenoid is a special switch that turns the starter on and off. Solenoids rarely cost more than $10 and are fairly easy to replace. When you turn the key, have a friend listen for a clicking sound. If there is no sound, assume the solenoid is broken and needs replacement.
• If the automotive engine is turning over but still won't start, it might be due to another problem unrelated to the starter or battery. Issues such as a dirty air filter, worn spark plugs, bad spark plug wires, a worn distributor cap, insufficient fuel reaching the engine, or even blown gaskets can prevent a car from starting. If you cannot isolate the problem through trial and error, it may be time to take the car to a mechanic for a check-up or repair.

Once you've determined that the problem is not resolved by troubleshooting the above issues, it may very well be that you need to replace the starter.

1. Disconnect the battery cables to reduce the possibility of accidentally shocking yourself.
2. Remove the electrical connections from the side of the starter. There are usually two wires: a positive and a negative wire. Remove the positive wire first, and then remove the negative wire from the starter. You may want to mark the connections with a paint pen to help you correctly reconnect the connectors to their proper terminals. To remove the connections, you'll need to use an open-face wrench or socket wrench to remove the bolts.
3. After both electrical connections are removed, you'll need to unbolt the starter from the chassis. Before you remove these bolts, take note of how the starter is oriented. You may want to mark the bolts with paint pens. There are usually only two or three bolts that attach the starter to the vehicle.
4. Remove the starter. In preparation, look closely at your car and determine the easiest path for removing the starter. It might be a tight fit, but you'll need to twist and pull the starter around various engine and frame parts to get it out of the car. Some cars may be particularly tight, especially those with front-wheel drive. You may have to remove other parts to create enough space to pull the starter out. If you do remove engine parts, take care to remember their proper location. Replace bolts into the same place they came from once you pull a piece off. This will help you keep track of all the pieces.
5. Once you've pulled the starter out, you can put the new starter in its place. You'll need to put it back in the exact same way you pulled the old starter out. Once it is in place, put in a bolt just enough to hold the starter in place. Then connect the electrical connections beginning with the ground wire. Once the ground wire is connected, attach the rest of the wiring. Next, install the remaining bolts holding the starter to the frame. Check to ensure all bolts are tight.