Starter replacement on SE

[steveness]

I recently had to replace the starter in my 2000 SE. I couldn't find any how to guides anywhere, so I figured I post this to help out anyone else who needs to do one.

What you'll need:
1. Good mechanic's gloves. Seriously. These spaces are tight, and the gloves really protect your hands.

2. 14mm socket, wrench and several extensions.

3. 14mm box wrench

4. Jack and jack stands (driving it up on ramps will not help, you'll have to remove a wheel).

5. Beer. And an understanding mate.

Process:

1. Disconnect the battery (negative first, kids!)
2. Prep the driver's front wheel for removal
3. Jack up the front, and put in the jack stands
4. Remove the driver's front wheel
5. remove the splash shield in the wheel well. It's connect to a plastic guard the goes around the front of the car and to the other side, but you can pull it out of the way by removing two screws and a couple of plastic holders.
6. Under the car, between the exhaust pipe and the passenger front wheel, you can see the starter. There is a brace running from the frame in front of you up to just under the intake manifold. Remove it. (2 bolts, both 14mm). It will hang in place, but now you can move around better.
7. Disconnect the two wires on the starter (facing the passenger side). One is a plastic clip, one takes a 14mm box wrench.
8. move your hand forward from the plastic clip to the end of a bolt. You can figure out where the front of the bolt is from here. I put a socket (14mm) on it from this position by reaching up with the socket on a medium extension with my left hand, and guiding it into place with my right.
9. Remove the bolt. It's really long, and it takes a long time.
10. Take a beer break.
11. Laying with your head under the removed wheel, with your feet facing the passenger side of the car, you should be able to see the bolt you removed.
12. A few inches up and over, behind that big wire connection point is the other bolt. Using one short and one medium extension, reach over the wires and guide the socket onto the bolt. Now put the rachet on, and get that bolt off. You'll know when it's off, because the starter will fall off.
13. Have another beer.
Installation is the reverse of removal. For me, I found it easier to put the lower bolt back on first, since I could hold the starter with my right hand and work the wrench with my left. Once it was tight, the other bolt lined up and went right on.

Good luck!

[david]

Fairly good, but removing the wheels is not a needed step. Just need a jack that can get your car up high enough to slip under the car.

[1SentraNotEnuff]

oh snap your write up fared fairly good lolz.

no pics ftl!

[blackb15]

I agree with David. Removing the drivers wheel is not needed. I just replaced my starter this weekend and could do everything from above and below the car. I just had to remove my intake tube to get better access to the starter bolts.

[SR20DE_MAN]

Oh wow! This is good to know. I might be doing my starter soon. It seems like starting up is taking a tad bit longer now. Thanks! \(^_^ )

[KrAsH]

Ok, so I'm not the only one who had issues with the starter on an SE. The thing is heavy as a pig to push start also.

Too bad no one had done this write up before. It would have saved me a lot of money. I just couldn't figure it out and gave up/went to have it fixed (also due to lack of an adequate working space at my apt). This is definitely going into my personal archives for future reference.

Thanks!

[JP]

Originally Posted by KrAsH

Ok, so I'm not the only one who had issues with the starter on an SE. The thing is heavy as a pig to push start also.

Haha, that it is. I could push start my bug up hill by myself. My b15 required like 3 mofo's plus me.

[steveness]

On removing the wheel - If you can easily remove the intake, getting to the second bolt would be easy enough. For me, it was easier to get to it from the side. I'm fairly short (5'6") so I like to get at things from below. Either way, shouldn't take more than 2-3 hours to do the whole thing.

Sorry about no pics - my wife wouldn't let me take her new camera under the car. Maybe next time?

[adc100]

Hopefully mine will go before Dec 07 (end of extended warranty) I'll have a beer watching it rolled up on the flatbed for its trip to the Nissan Dealer. If it goes after that date, someone else will have to worry about it.

[SR20DE_MAN]

Here's another way to do it. I just did it today.

1. Remove the intake box. It's really easy to do. Unscrew the clap holding the uuper intake, open box, remove air filter, pull upper part of intake out, flip it over & rest it on top drivers side strut bar. Don't bang it up!! The MAF is in there. Remove 2 intake box screws at bottom of intake box with a 10 mm socket & long extension. Remove one outside near the fender. Pull out intake box from tube near the fender. An optional thing is to remove the battery. This makes it all easier too.



2. Once you remove the box, getting to the bolts is a no brainer. You can see them very easily. They are located right behind the motor, kinda underneath the intake maifold. About 10" below.





3. Ehhhh... Don't remove them yet! Hahahaha! Jack the car up on the drivers side. Make sure the car is secure. Go underneath the car & locate the starter. It's right above the exhaust. It should say Hitachi on it. Remove the harnesses that connect to the starter. One is a clip-on & the other is loosened with a 12 mm or 14mm socket. If you have one of those ratchets that can bend in any angle, that would be great. That harness is covered with a rubber cap thingy. You have to pull it back to see the nut. Loosen it up. Once you have it all loosened, it's ready to be removed.

4. Now you can remove the bolts at the top. Refer to the picture in step 2. Once you remove them, go back down & fidget with the starter until you're able to squeeze it through the frame & exhaust piping. Here's a picture of the new starter so you get an idea of what I'm taking about.



My starter had a 12mm nut. Some may have a 14mm nut. You'll figure it out. Make sure that you remove the one that has the cable the goes to the battery! 'cause you won't be able to take out the starter. Hahaaha!

5. Reverse order for installation! One person goes underneath the car & lines up the starter holes to the mounting holes & the other person bolts them down. Then you clip on the harness & tighten the other harness with a 12 or 14mm socket & reverse the rest.

[blackb15]

Perfect writeup. Exactly what I did in the exact same order.

[shanno575]

i feel my starter about to go!

[SR20DE_MAN]

^ It's not too hard to do. You definitely need a jack that can lift the car pretty high so that you can slide under to remove / install wiring harnesses on the starter. That will be the trickiest part, but even then it's not that hard. You also need one more person to help you hold the starter or have him / her install the bolts. That's it.

[cburwell]

It's funny that everyone is saying that they are having problems with their starters. I have noticed that my car [i]seems[i] to not want to start (IE: the starter hardly gets the car started).

Did anyone get a starter from Nissan? How much did it run?

[SpecVcepS]

Originally Posted by cburwell

It's funny that everyone is saying that they are having problems with their starters. I have noticed that my car [i]seems[i] to not want to start (IE: the starter hardly gets the car started).

Did anyone get a starter from Nissan? How much did it run?

I just put a remanufactured one in my moms maxima from the parts distributor i deal with, and let me tell ya, its a hell of a difference when you go to start the car.

Chris, if ya need one, let me know... i get mad discounts..somewhere like 40-50%