I leave K-Mart today...turn the key...fuel pump, solenoid, starter turns over once and stops. Try it again....solenoid engages but the starter won't turn over. Just makes a metallic PING/CLANK noise everytime I turn the key....Check my battery...almost completely out of water. Fill it up... Output: 11 Friend comes over and jumps me...alt gauge reading 13, turn key..no solenoid, no starter. Tried getting a jump from another car...starter is dead the solenoid won't engage. Checked to see if the battery is too fried to transfer power...it's not. Headlights are bright as hell, all accessories work...the solenoid just wont engage. Battery wont hold a charge for more than 10 mins though..falls back down to 11 or so. My car is sitting in the K-Mart parking lot...yeah, Merry Christmas! It's less than a year old..a remanufactured one. I called the guys...dude said the warranty only covers manufacturing defects, not if it just burns out. Greeaaat. How hard is a starter to replace? Anything special I need to know? I'm gonna buy a lifetime warrantied starter with the solenoid on it, put some cheap battery in, and hopefully do it all in the parking lot so I dont have to pay to have it towed. Wish me luck everyone. Wow..Christmas eve is gonna suck....

 

First thing you should know - be glad it's not a Ford. I hate their starter systems (just replaced my g/f's '74 Maverick's setup)

Anywho, nope, not hard at all, just disconnect the + battery wire from the battery terminal, then jack the car up, and follow that wire to the starter. Unbolt the starter (two bolts) and hook up the wires on the new one, as they were hooked up on the old one. Bolt it back up, nice and snug, and hook your battery cable back up - off you go! The solenoid is built into the starter - be sure to get a lifetime replacement starter!

 

It's really that easy?? And no need about tracing wires...already know where my starter is...tried tapping it and the solenoid already. Well, thanks for the good news..you just made my night a lot less horrible. I think I'm going to replace it in the K-Mart parking lot and forego the $100 for towing....thats WAY too much money to move a damn car!

 

Yea, not hard at all. Did mine this weekend.

tools needed...

Whatever to dx posative cable from battery.

14mm short wrench/socket.
8mm short wrench/socket.
15mm on 1/2inch ratchet with 4-6" extension.

Wiggle it out, wiggle new one in, put wires back on, re-connect to battery, wa-la.

 

I've got a nice little set of wrenches, and 2 sets of ratchets..plus whatever tools my dad has...I should be good to go. 1/2 in. ratchet? What about a 3/4 in.? I MIGHT have a 1/2 in..all I know is it's a hell of a lot smaller than my 3/4....but it's not very durable..my 3/4 in. is a my trusty one...even though it's a cheap brand it hasnt failed me yet..

 

While on the whole starting topic.......can you recommend a good, cheap battery?? My battery is fried and doesnt hold a charge worth a crap..I figure why put a BRAND new starter on and then have it not work cause my battery went sizzle? I just want to put a cheap one in that will have enough cranking amps to start it up nice and quick....I emphasize CHEAP because I live in FL.....batteries dont last long here.

 

you might have a little trouble wiggling the new one in, but it shouldn't be too hard.

 

I dunno how cheap, cheap is to you... I had to go looking for a battery recently for my car, & didn't have much to spend, so I went to Walmart. Found that their prices were a little too high, so i went to Sears... they had a sale on batteries & I got mine for $60 plus tax (CDN funds), Pretty decent price IMHO

 

Shhh... before someone jumps your case, that '3/4' drive is really 1/2", and the '1/2' is a 3/8"

Remember in F&TF, where he 'beat that guy with a 3/4" torque wrench"? They don't exist. It's a 1/2" torque wrench.

Just a little FYI.

 

3/4" tools do exist. *sigh*

http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/pro...mId=1611757150

 

For real, I got 3/4 drive at home. Has anyone ever seen a 1 1/2" tourqe wrench, the railroad uses them day in and day out.


I had no prob wiggliing my starter in and out. Took like a whole minute.

I find wal-mart batterys to be fairly reasonable on prices, however, don't get the "smallest" recommended for your car, get atleast mid, or heavy duty.

I think my camaro has a "Truck" 4x4 battery in it, HAHA

 

Whewee. I gotta give my ratchets all a once-over again and see what they actually are...but that I know my biggest ratchet of the two isn't as big as the one in the photo...my other one is TINY. The smaller one can't be longer than 3 or 4 inches.

Update- FIXED. Bout damn time! Had to pay $65 for towing cause it had to be towed 8 miles home...bought a lifetime warrantied DAP starter for $70...only problem is the bolts didn't want to go in right...they kept wanting to cross-thread. I finally lined the sucker up...felt like they were trying to cross-thread, but I said the hell with it and tightened them down...went back and forth...did like 5 ratchets of one, then 5 of the other..back and forth to try to keep it even...tightened right up...connected the battery, turned the key..turned over about a whole 2 times and started...amazing. VROOOOM. This new starter doesn't even sound like a normal starter..it's insanely quiet.

Now, it's a Merry Christmas, not a Merry F----ing Christmas..

 

Hey man, congrats!

HOLY JESUS. That's a big torque wrench. 600 ft/lbs? I know engines that can't do that

Must be railroad equipment....

 

3/4" ratchets and swing arms are very common on farms, around heavy trucks, or any other heavy machinery shops. Lots of 3/4 and 1 inch drive air wrenchs as well.

 

Back on the battery subject, just got a batt for my GF's 85 camaro for 29 bucks at WalMart. Its probably not the best but it works.