Does your vehicle crank slowly when starting your engine? Does it also make clicking, whining, or scraping noises? Do these symptoms get worse in below freezing weather? Your issue is probably a bad starter! In today's video I'll show you how to both diagnose and replace a starter motor and I'll be demonstrating it on my 2008 Acura MDX.
Some people might confuse these symptoms and noises with the power steering pump and alternator. However as we concluded in the video, these noises would persist for longer than just a second beyond startup. This leaves us with the problem being between the starter or the battery.
Before replacing the starter, it's important to test the battery first to make sure that isn't defective. The ultimate test would be to charge your battery, disconnect the charger, and immediately go to start your car. If the symptoms persist, you have a bad starter.
If the noise goes away, you have a problem with either the battery, alternator, a parasitic drain, or you simply had a discharged battery and/or don't drive your vehicle frequently enough. I forgot to mention in the video, but first make sure your battery cables are tight and secure to the battery terminals and are also not corroded.
Next, with a multimeter, check the following things after charging your battery:
- Battery voltage doesn't drop below 10 volts at startup
- Battery voltage is above 14 volts when engine is running
- Battery voltage is above 12.5 volts after letting vehicle sit for 24 hours
If you take your car to AutoZone, they can also accurately test your battery and alternator for free and determine if your battery is bad. There are also plenty of videos on YouTube showing you how to test for a parasitic drain.
A starter can go bad for a few reasons. The solenoid can go bad which is responsible for engaging the starter gear and closing the electrical circuit to the motor which spins the starter gear. The poor cheap design of these starters exposes a copper wire which can become corroded and inhibit the electrical circuit. Lastly, the starter can simply become dirty and worn out, causing things to stiffen up and perform poorly especially in cold weather.
Parts and Tools used in this video:
- NOCO GENIUS5 Battery Charger: https://amzn.to/4idl8yK
- KAIWEETS HT118A Multimeter: https://amzn.to/4idIqVh
- Alligator Clip Test Lead Set: https://amzn.to/41VHfTl
- DENSO 2800404 Starter Motor: https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=4717110&cc=1441741&pt=4152&jsn=547
0:00 Intoduction
0:40 Purchasing tools and parts
2:54 Diagnosis
REMOVING STARTER MOTOR
15:10 Remove air filter assembly and battery
16:47 Remove battery base plate
18:12 Remove starter terminals
18:28 Remove starter motor
INSTALLING STARTER MOTOR
19:56 Install starter motor
20:55 Torque starter bolts to 33ft.lbs
21:02 Install starter terminals. Torque nut to 7ft.lbs
21:31 Install battery base plate
22:34 Install air filter assembly and battery
23:13 Conclusion