FAQ: Starter/Solenoid Info

My starter fried tonight....... i knew it was going to happen it was just a matter of WHEN............ not a good time either!!! i know where it is but is it hard to remove and install and new one?? how long for the job?? any help or pointers is glady appreciated

How did you know it was going to happen?

AA wrote:

How did you know it was going to happen?

when i would turn the key i would get nothing, than i'd turn it again and it would have a little bit of a rough time starting, it was just obvious it was going to die in the very near future....

Are you sure it's the starter? What happens if you jump 12 v to the starter terminal?

Nothing happening when you turn the key... that could be the ignition switch or other issues too. Did it click? (That's not nothing...)

Travis,


if you're going to do this yourself, please do a write up....

Derek is on the money for wanting to diagnose it. Heck..this could be a bad battery.

The starter is about an hour job. Disconnect the negative battery cable. Remove the plastic dust shield covering the starter it it still exists. Remove the soleniod wire (8mm) and power lead to starter (13mm). Now remove the two 15mm bolts holding the starter to the engine and hold the starter as you take the second bolt out. Slide it out of the engine bay and reverse the process for the new starter. Shim if necessary.

BillBoost37 wrote:

Derek is on the money for wanting to diagnose it. Heck..this could be a bad battery.

The starter is about an hour job. Disconnect the negative battery cable. Remove the plastic dust shield covering the starter it it still exists. Remove the soleniod wire (8mm) and power lead to starter (13mm). Now remove the two 15mm bolts holding the starter to the engine and hold the starter as you take the second bolt out. Slide it out of the engine bay and reverse the process for the new starter. Shim if necessary.

Ill see about taking pictures..... but i dont have a good camera AND i will have dirty hands......... thanks for the estimates!!!!! hope its takes around an hour

what about the diagnostics? Don't replace the part if you aren't sure about it being bad... do some testing first or you could be wasting your money. I haven't seen a bad starter from a SII 3800 yet.

Put your camera in a zip-lock sandwich bag.

AA wrote:

Put your camera in a zip-lock sandwich bag.

My lense is too big..lol

Derek, I was only listing it to help out. Not to bypass diagnostics. (I have seen soleniods go bad)

BillBoost37 wrote:

Derek, I was only listing it to help out. Not to bypass diagnostics. (I have seen soleniods go bad)

I know, I was asking the OP... diagnose before replacing parts...

It was definately the starter........ i know i coulda replaced the solenoid..... but now i have a WHOLE new setup...... which is cheap insurance and makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside!

did you get the L67 or L32 starter as replacement? i think that is one of the parts they changed on the L32, though i'm not sure why they would replace a good thing. i'll second the "never heard of a bad starter on a s2 3800" comment.
i guess what i am trying to find out is the L32 starters better in some way? yet still fit the L67?

I want to say there was a thread on that L32 vs l67 starter somewhere...

I think the l32 is smaller or something , but i'm not sure.


Come to think of it shintsu started a thread on exotic sounding starters... i think bill boost brought something up about it.

"there is no such thing as a bad starter for the 3800", I second that. but the plastic linkage in the starter solenoid does break. but u would hear the starter just spin, instead of engaging the motor. I had alot of trouble even finding a starter solenoid, contrary to parts stores bullshit commercials. But there is an Acme/Napa store by me that has them for about $15.

If anyone does need a need starter, I have a brand new one that Ive used for probably 15 starts.My stock one worked fine and I had to modify it for clearence of the meziere flex plate counter weight, so the new one I dont need.

Today I attempted to start my car and just as i put my key in the ignition and turned it, (I didnt even turn it all the way to start the engine) i heard this horribly loud sound , something close to a metallic screech, almost like metal rubbing against each other. it was so loud that people at the opposite end of the vast parking lot turned around to wonder what the heck that was. i proceeded to start the car in hopes that it would quit, but it persisted. what is this? why could this be happening? a guy who was close by, a mechanic, said it sounded like some kind of starter problem. would the starter be making that horrible of a sound if it went bad? i mean, it was a horrible metallic sound yo. i love my car but it seems like as soon as i fix one problem, another one just springs up out of nowhere im worried cause this is my source of transportation. HELP PLEASE!!!

Maybe the starter and flywheel aren't engaging? I'd pull the starter and look at the gear teeth.

so the starter would be making that horrible grinding screech? where is the starter located?

where is the starter located?[/quote] AA ,go help the poor soul.He don't even know where a starter is, or even looks like, "located", ect !!! :

I just replaced mine about a month ago. The original lasted a little over 204,000 miles. It is in the left front where the engine and transaxle join. You will need a hoist or ramps to gain access and make sure to disconnect the ground cable before R&R. Pretty easy job once you can get to it..

You take a point, when i was tiring to help.AA lives close by, take another one asshole,like i give a shit!!! You can have all of them pointless ass,like i said i fix my own stuff it!!!

adri wrote:

ok, ill do that, cause after all it really could be the plug wires. Thanks! check out my other post. its a question about the starter trouble that ive been having recently. its occasional however. it makes a horrible screech like metal on metal grinding when i try to turn the engine over.

Not sure without being there, but when the starter solenoid is worn out or does not get enough electricity to engage it will not make the starter engage the flywheel properly -- so you get a SCREECH when the partially engaged teeth on the starter buzz against the flywheel.

So...

On the front frame rail, passenger side, you'll find a ground cable from the starter to the frame. Check it please, at the starter and at the bolt on the frame rail. If that connection is corroded the starter might not get full power. You should disassemble this thing and clean it but be advised that doing so might break it and you'll have to drill out the bolt and install another. Or the starter could just be weak & need replaced.

Doesn't autozone test starters (if you remove from car first)?


Albertj

hey man chill out. We get newbies here all the time and there's nothing like some good advice to turn a newbie into an enthusiast.

Not to mention, newbies aren't able to cast merit votes anyway, so directing your anger at them is pretty pointless. The negative points were given by members of our board who did not feel your replies were constructive, and I can't say I disagree with them!

Take that point i gave you aa,most of these flamers on here,don't even know what a wrench is,they just type fast, sit in front of the computer and shit it out!!!Hey man chill this