.... the starter took a crap. It sucked I had to change out my starter in AutoZone's parking lot in the rain with their ****ty tools they give you to use. It wasn't really that bad though, it only took me about 15 minutes... not bad for my first time.

 

Atleast they gave you tools. The autozones around my place have signs that say you can't work on car in parking lot.

Ps. Be thankful the maximas starters are one of the easiest.

 

Good to know for the future.

 

101K and counting....starter went out in a clients driveway last week. It was about 100 degrees outside and I had 5 foot iguana in the back. That was the first time in two years the car it didn't start for me.

 

me too!! durlast yes! wow you did it fast, i wasnt in the rain so i too my time

 

nice man 15 minutes thats fast!!!
mine went out 2nd day i had my maxima (120k miles) spend $180 for mechanic to put it in, i did wait 2 hours

 

Man that things turns over like a beast compaired to how it was before the duralast, lol.

 

my maxima has been all over the country and through alot of wear and tear and not once, not even for a flat tire, has the car ever put me on the side of the road, i can't say the same for the first 3 american cars i owned. I am the original owner at 130K miles.

 

Funny thing is, I was sitting in AutoZone saying the exact opposite thing. I was sitting there saying that my heads/cam/sprayed/ect... Z28 has never let me down the way my DD Maxima has. On top of replacing the starter I also had to replace the battery earlier in the day. That was free though.

 

Everyone.......My 01 max has 97,000 and starts hard periodically when it is hot out...I am also thinking my starter is going bad. Is it best to get an OEM starter from Dave B. or are the starters from Autozone etc.. just as good and cheaper... Also does anyone have a writeup on how to replace, I am thinking it is on near the firewall and just unplugging the negative terminal on the battery during install. Thanks.... The car has been rock solid and never left me stranded on the side of the road...(Knock on wood...the fake stuff inside the car )

 

The one from AutoZone has a lifetime warentee if you get the Duralast.

 

I'd also choose non-oem,

"The starter is located on the top of the transmission bell housing. You'll need to remove some of the intake piping to gain access to the starter. Disconnect the battery cables from the battery. Then remove the wires from the back of the starter. There are two bolts that hold the starter in place (I believe 14 or 17mm). Remove those bolts, and pull the old starter out. You should put some sort of high-temp lithium grease on the new starter where the gear slides in and out to prevent it from binding (just in case measure). Put the new starter in, and tighten the bolts. Reconnect the wires to the starter and battery. Then reinstall the intake piping." (http://forums.nicoclub.com/zerothread/223589)

 

Let me know if you need help with that, Paul. I'll be around this weekend.

 

Starter Removal, Re-grease, and Installation (To Correct Whine Sound)
Just a disclaimer....I am not responsible for any mechanical, electrical, or other damage resulting from following these directions. This is at your own accord.

Start Removal/Installation & Re-greasing:

Estimated Time: 1.5 hours

Tools Needed:

--Metric sockets: 10MM, 12MM, 14MM, & 17MM (deep sockets)
--3/8” (recommended due to tight space) or 1/2” drive with small extension.
--Philips head screwdriver
--Hi-temp multi-lube silicone grease
--Brake or carburetor cleaner
--Nissan ESM or FSM (not required, but highly recommended, look at page SC-19)

All steps consider person at the front of the car facing the engine bay.

Part I: Start removal

Step 1: Disconnect negative battery terminal.

Step 2: Remove intake assembly. (I suggest removing everything up to the throttle body, you will need the room.

Step 3: Detach harness protector that is above the starter and to the left of the battery. This is quite difficult to do without breaking. I ended up breaking mine, but it wasn’t that big of a deal to me because I didn’t feel the need to have the harness clamped in. But if you want to remove without breaking take your time and be patient, you have to separate the protector clip from the mounting bracket.

Step 4: Disconnect starter harness connecting the start solenoid to the power supply wire using a 12MM socket or open ended wrench.

Step 5: Loosen upper 14MM bolt with a deep 14MM socket and 3/8” or 1/2" drive. Requires some force to be removed.

Step 6: Loosen and remove lower 17MM bolt with deep 17MM socket or a 17MM socket and extension. This requires a lot of force to remove.

Step 7: Pull starter away from engine at a slight downward and away angle. This requires some maneuvering to remove from the engine as there is little room to work with. Removal of the battery may help in this situation, but I didn’t end up having to remove the battery.

Part II: Disassembly & Cleanup of the Starter

Step 1: Using brake or carburetor cleaner clean the outside housing of the starter and the solenoid.

Step 2: Remove the solenoid using a 10MM socket on the two 10MM bolts. Loosen the top bolt connecting the power supply cord. Carefully remove the solenoid from the starter. Keep a close track on the parts as to how they came off and where they go. These parts do not need to be re-lubed unless you have excessive mileage (probably 75K or more). Mine did not require to be re-lubed, the grease was still viscous and not hardened.

Step 3: Remove the rear cover from the starter using a Phillips head screwdriver on the two screws. You might notice a lot of copper filing and dried grease in the cover. This should be cleaned.

Step 4: Remove the two 10MM Through-bolts.

Step 5: Carefully pull apart the upper assembly containing the charging elements of the starter. This includes the brush assembly, armature assembly, yoke assembly, and center bracket. Clean the yoke assembly and center bracket with brake or carburetor cleaner. The brush assembly and armature assembly can be cleaned with compressed air, or stiff bristle brush. Keep track of the parts and how they were removed.

Step 6: Remove the internal gear, packing, and planetary gear. These need to be cleaned and re-greased with high temperature grease.

Step 7: The rest of the starter should come out basically as one piece. I would suggest leaving it as is, except for re-greasing the pinion shaft as much as you can. The intricate parts such as the rings requires special tools and in my opinion are not worth acquiring for this task.

Step 8: Clean gear case assembly.

Part III: Starter Assembly

Step 1: Assemble the starter. Keep a close track on the parts. I re-lubed the packing, planetary gears, and internal gear as I re-assembled the starter. Be sure to line up the holes in the center brackets, yoke assembly, and brush holder assembly. They need to be aligned so the Through-bolts can reach the bottom of the starter and be tightened.

Step 2: Replace the starter solenoid. Be sure to assemble all parts in the correct configuration!

Step 3: Tighten all bolts. From the ESM there are torque specifications, but I tightened all bolts finger tight and then 1/4 turn.

Part IV: Starter Installation

Step 1: Put start back in place using the reverse order of removal instructions. Be sure to finger tighten all bolts before tightening them down all the way!! Use the deep sockets to get the bolts started, unless you have small hands and can start the bolts without the sockets. Finger tighten 14MM, 17MM, and 12MM bolts. Tighten 12MM bolt connecting the power harness to ½ turn more than finger tight or per the required torque specification. The 14MM and 17MM bolts tighten with a large amount of force.

Step 2: Re-install harness protector.

Step 3: Re-install intake.

Step 4: Reconnect negative battery terminal.

Start the car and enjoy the whine free sound!



Just follow the part to take it out...all done... yeah i'd say get the autozone one, return the core and get like 30 bucks back. my car starts strong again! yesssss

 

awsome job!

 

Is that in the stickies? If it's not it should be.

 

it is i just copied and paste for ease.

 

I had to change out a brake line in an Pep Boys parking lot....they didn't give me any tools. Plus they told me I can't do it in their parking lot and I needed to park just outside of their lot to do the work.

Took me all of 15 minutes to change out and bleed the line. But it was sh1tty doing it at 8PM while out of town.

 

Oh good.

 

AdamK and Maxima112....Thanks to you both for the awesome replies to replacing the starter...You both helped out alot when I attempt this in the next few weeks. I will probably get one from Autozone but will also compare the price from the stealership. Maxima112 I am glad you put this in the stickies because your in depth replacement is very helpful.. Thanks again to you both....I have learned so much about my maxima from everyone on this site....

 

oh no dont thank me i just copied it in there. i just knew it was there, someone else did it... but yes the ORG IS GRRRRREEAAAT!!!! i know i saved like 400 bucks on labor for the starter and brake pad change for sure...