How hard is it to replace a starter?

Question

It's a 97 V6 Pontiac Firebird, it doesn't sound so complicated... What tools would I need to do it? Thanx!

Answer 1

A basic socket set will do the trick. You'll need a little upper body strength though. Even though a starter isn't super heavy by any means. Holding and working with an object overhead can be a little tedious. Lastly do it first thing in the morning I know it sounds obvious but you don't want to work on a hot engine. It's a Firebird so it's not Front wheel drive.

Answer 2

an adjustable wrench, perhaps a regular screw driver, probably 9/16 or 5/8 or 11/16 socket, an extention drive and the ratchet.
if your pontiac is like most gm cars the starter is on the drivers side near the fire wall.

disconnect the hot lead to the battery.
jack the car up, then put something else under the car so if the jack slips or falls, the car won't fall on you.

there are 2 bolts that hold on the starter.
1 is on the bottom and easy to get to, the other is on top, and a royal pain, sometimes, and just a pain others. you cannot see it except with a mirror and a light, so have to remove it by feel.
remove both bolts. the starter can then be pulled out of the hole it is in. be careful. there are still 2 wires connected to the solenoid that is attached toi the top of the starter. 1 will have a 9/16 or 5/8 bolt and the other will be about 1/4" .
twist the starter around so you have better access to these wires. disconnect the small wire, put the nut back on the post so you don't loose it.
disconnect the large wire, put the nut back on that post.
the starter can now fall to the ground. be careful it weighs about 35 pounds.
take it to any napa store for a replacement. napa will charge you a little more than other stores, but they will get you the right part, the first time, unlike cheaper stores who might or might not.
you may buy the starter before you start work, nbut i need a short break, because i hate being a mechanic.

equivilent/similar metric sizes are 14 mm, 17 mm AND 19 mm. 1/4 is about 6mm. i tell you this incase gm has gone metric.
you go girl. remember you are doing a job that guys who wear baseball caps do, so it can't be that hard.
you can go to many public librarys aND LOOK AT a Chiltons or Motor manual for better instructions.
if the access is no worse than i am used to, 1.5 to 2 hours should give you plentyh of time to do this.
the most difficult part will be lifting the starter back into its hole.
good luck

Answer 3

I've never been under the hood of a Pontiac, so I can't be so helpful there.

I can say that a starter can be relatively easy as car repairs go, and it can be a major frustrating pain in the rear.

A lot of it depends on where the starter is placed on your engine and whether you have front wheel or rear wheel drive.

When I took the starter out of a 1988 Dodge Shadow with one of the widely used 4-cyl 2.2 liter engines, it was a big hassle. The starter was up under the back side of the engine almost touching the manifold. (HOT!)

I had to raise the car far up, and get far under there and wait a few hours for things to cool down. I could reach some of the bolts from only the top when reaching waaaay down and some of them from the bottom only reaching uncomfortably up. I had to use a 12" socket extension to get at one of them. There was a fair amount of sludge on it. I spent the afternoon doing a seemingly simple thing. It was tough to get my arms up in there between the exhaust piping.


The starter of my 4-cyl 1989 Toyota Camry is on the front and very easy to get at and it is clean there. There are a few bolts to get and it requires no stretch armstrong tricks.


No matter what, I think you would want some good tools, which to me mean 6-point sockets (not 12-point sockets which are more prone to slip and round off the bolt head)

A 3/8" drive ratchet should be enough for a starter I think, but I use 1/2" drive sockets and a breaker bar for a lot of automotive stuff which is bigger and tighter.

Sometimes there isn't room for all that and you need a wrench.

Be careful of the skin on your hands.

Have patience and the ability to keep thinking of new ways to reach the bolt that you have to remove.

Answer 4

You-ll need a couple of wrench's or sockets. What size depends on the car. Disconect the neg side of the battery. Get underneath the car, disconnect the wires to the starter, take out the two bolts holding the starter to the bell housing. then pull the starter out. Reverse the procedure to reinstall. tighten the two bolts to the bell housing as tight as you can. the nuts for the wires only needs to be snug. You just saved about $100 Main thing is don't get crushed by the car if you jack it up and it moves when you loosen the bolts. Put the car up on some good stands or a lift. Never get under a car on just a jack. Some stands are kinda if-y too.

Answer 5

You have to disconnect a battery cable. Then, you take a couple of wires off at the starter. Then, there are two or three long, large bolts that hold the starter to the block. You loosen the bolts with wrenches, and then remove them with a rachet to speed up the process. Remove the bolts; remove the starter; put the new starter in; connect the wires; and reconnect the battery cable.

It's usually a job for beginners, but on some cars it can be a very tough job though because it is hard to get to the starter. See if you can get a wrench on the main bolts, and see if it looks like there is enough room to remove the starter. It's pretty easy to distinguish. Just jack the car up a little (apply the emergency brake); lay an old blanket on the ground; and take a look.

It's not always the starter. Some cars have devices such as neutral safety switch, starter relay, or selonoid switch. It could be the battery. Check the date on the battery. If it is 4-5 years old, that could very well be the problem. When you take the starter off, you can take it to Advanced Auto and they can hook it up to a machine and test it before you buy a new one. They aren't as cheap as they used to be.

Answer 6

This one isn't hard at all. There's alot of room and it doesn't require much more than a basic set of tools.Disconnect the battery(5/16 wrench).Jack the car up high enough to get under and support with jackstands.Socket set(15mm socket).Lower the starter after removing the two(2) attaching bolts.Disconnect the battery cable and solenoid wire from the starter. This will require a 15mm box wrench and a 9/32 socket. If there are any shims above the starter(they'll come out with the starter)wipe them off to remove any debris and save and re use them with the new starter.Not all starters will have shims!!

Answer 7

A basic socket set, and open ended wrenches will be needed. Most starters are in the open and cen be gotten to by just getting under the car after it's jacked up a little. Get a haynes or chilton book from your local auto part store. They go step by step on how to change out a starter and usually have pictures.

Answer 8

Its not hard to change the starter on your car. Ask around and you'll probably find a friend that can help. Someone that's done it before. Have the starter checked at your local auto supply before you purchase a new one. They'll need it for a core.

Answer 9

it is complicated it has to be done from the bottom of the car and it has to be high enough in the air to get to,you need a good socket set and a set of wrenches,and they need to be in metric size also,the battery cable has to come off,and there's barely enough room to get it out,if i was you i wouldn't try this if i hadn't took one off before,its harder than it sounds,have a shop do it,you,ll be glad you did,good luck with it.

Answer 10

Look at the starter, that will tell you what tools to use! I wouldn't attempt it if you've never done car repairs before.