- Jan 16, 2012
- 217
I think my starter motor is finally dead. I posted a while back about how it was slow to spin up, but it was winter (quite cold here in IL) and I was leaning towards blaming the battery at the time.
With the wamer weather and a new battery everything was behaving for a while. Now, for the last couple of weeks the car has started fine but there has been a worrying clunk when the engine fired up. My initial thoughts at the time were a dying starter motor.
Tonight my wife went to run and errand but came back intot he house just moments later telling me the car is dead and won't start. Battery seems pretty healthy. Turn the key and there is a loud click; louder than a relay. At one point I could even see some smoke coming from the starter motor housing. So I am fairly sure it's my starter motor.
Anyhoo, has anyone here replaced a starter on these vehicles before..?? Any hints, tips, tricks, words of wisdom to pass along. From what I can gather the onyl difficult part is the back bolt that is sandwiched between the starter and the block, along with the fact that access is not the best. I think GM designed everything on this car to be difficult to access. I saw somewhere that the best method is to come in throught the wheel well....
TIA.
Dave.
With the wamer weather and a new battery everything was behaving for a while. Now, for the last couple of weeks the car has started fine but there has been a worrying clunk when the engine fired up. My initial thoughts at the time were a dying starter motor.
Tonight my wife went to run and errand but came back intot he house just moments later telling me the car is dead and won't start. Battery seems pretty healthy. Turn the key and there is a loud click; louder than a relay. At one point I could even see some smoke coming from the starter motor housing. So I am fairly sure it's my starter motor.

Anyhoo, has anyone here replaced a starter on these vehicles before..?? Any hints, tips, tricks, words of wisdom to pass along. From what I can gather the onyl difficult part is the back bolt that is sandwiched between the starter and the block, along with the fact that access is not the best. I think GM designed everything on this car to be difficult to access. I saw somewhere that the best method is to come in throught the wheel well....
TIA.
Dave.