My starter is going out. All I hear is a click randomly, since its happening more often, I'm looking to replace it before it goes all the way. The starter is OE. I have looked at Ultima(Oreilys) Duralast(Autozone), and the cheaper online Amazon options DB Electric, Premier Gear, and TYC.
If anyone has experiences with any of the starters, your input is appreciated. Also not sure of going with re-manufactured or brand new.

 

It's so easy to get to, get new with a good warranty. I think I bought mine from Oreilly's almost three years ago and it's as strong today as it was brand new. I don't remember the brand. I messed around with Magneti Marelli twice and they both sucked. Companies aren't the same companies as they used to be. All globalist corporate conglomerate portfolio items now. Crapshoot with anything these days.

 

All that matters is buy one locally with a lifetime warranty.

 

Thank you, I was thinking of Oreilys, the only issue with that is it would need to be pre ordered since they only have re manufactured in stock in my area.
I am for sure its easy to get to with a 5 speed, but mine is automatic, so its in a different location. From my understanding, the air box just needs to come off, instead of just a hose on the 5 speed. My local mechanic wants 250 for labor alone and 450 for parts and labor. So I may try it myself

 

I see, none of the amazon starters come with more than a 2 year warranty. I may go with OReilys since its the closest, they have re manufactured with lifetime warranty

 

I got mine from Autozone and the first one went out after a week. it started making a whirly sound than wouldnt crank after the engine got up to temperature. they replaced it under warranty and has been going strong since 2014 or 15

 

Oh wow I would hate for that to happen. Was it a re manufactured starter?

 

pretty much, it's a Duralast. but on the 6MT it's like a 5 minute job in the parking lot.

 

May be best to get brand new since I have an automatic. I think it may take about 20 mins longer

 

matter of fact, I did a starter change on an I35 a few weeks ago and they got a starter from OReillys and after the first crank the starter kept free spinning without even turning the ignition switch.

from what I see online, a Duralast Gold is $204.99 and it's not remanufactured...

 

I was leaning towards Oreily's, its around the same price for a brand new one, its just that in my area Autozone is the only place with brand new starters in store.. Did they go with a different starter, or get the same brand replaced?

 

they haven't even gotten back to me yet on it. I did a wheel bearing on it also that day and they told me to put the factory starter back in since it wasn't totally dead. it was still cranking up with 2 clicks of the ignition switch. I told them to just get a new one on Rockauto. it's my friend's wife's car and he can't talk her out of keeping it. it's a low mileage car that still runs great. the only other thing it needs is new struts and the car can only be unlocked with the remote. even the leather seats and dash still look fresh and one front fender has a dent.

 

That looks nice, I have the rare sport edition with the larger rims, The ride quality is very harsh and my least favorite thing about it. Do you by any chance remember if the starter they got from Oreilys was new or remade??

 

I think it was a remanufactured one.

 

Thanks. Good to know, If I do get one from o reily, I would need to pre order new. I don't think I will go with Amazon, though the Hitachi and Denso products I got from there were ok..

 

it's best to have a starter with warranty that can be exchanged locally just in case.

 

That's what I was thinking, since I may be changing this myself. I dread it because it hasn't went all the way out yet, in fact some days it starts right up, other days when I try to start, I hear nothing but a single click. Best to do it now than to have it towed though

 

warranties are everything on our old parts especially starters. my OEM starter lasted about 15-16 years, i got new one and it lasted 1.5-2 years. luckily there was a warranty on it and the shop who installed it replaced it free of charge minus labor.

 

Oh, Did you get yours from Autozone? Though my starter lasted about 21 years so far, it started doing the random no start about 5 years ago, so in reality mine lasted about 15 years as well. I would like for it to last longer than 2 years, since I would rather deal with a random no start than having to change it again. I guess I'm just tired of fixing this car, I get that its trivial things, but I have already spent well over 400$ so far this year, and now this, along with a 02 sensor a going right after I took it to the mechanic to fix coil 1.

 

400$ to keep a car going is not much..... that's a one month average car payment. we all have our own priorities

i had a shop install the starter, and they stood by the part warranty.

 

I went with a brand spanking new ACDELCO 3371107 from Rock Auto for $120 delivered.

 

I was going to go with a Bosch from Amazon for the same price, but it only has a 2 year warranty. I went with a new Ultima starter from Oreilys, I Ordered it to get a 20% discount, but it was supposed to be here last week, still waiting..
I was also thinking of getting the shop to do it, after watching diy videos, every mechanic has a problem with the long bolt that's in the back that seems nearly impossible to get off. Have you done this job yourself?

 

This was the first time I replaced the starter from above and it took about 30 minutes. To reach the long bolt I used a 3/8 deep well 17mm socket (IIRCC) on a swivel head ratchet. It broke free easily as the last time I did this years ago I had placed anti-seize on the threads. You'll spend more time getting the air box and the air intake before the airbox out of the way.



I have replaced just about everything on this car except for the engine and trans https://i.imgur.com/IBZWuGe.jpg
Maybe those in another year or two.

 

I see, that looks like the tool I seen in the videos. I can't make up my mind to do it myself or pay 250$. I should spray the bolt with wd40 if I am removing it myself. The starter ordeal is getting out of hand, mainly because its an intermediate issue.

 

The threads on the longer bolt are a few inches from the head, You can try some penetrating oil on it but I never had an issue.

You can try to do it yourself, and if you can't get the screw loose then take it to a shop.

 

Yea I noticed that too, I may try this myself since the last time I took it to a shop they broke a few things fixing a coil. Come to think of it, after they changed my coil, my car now does this no start thing every single day every time I try to start it, prior to now it only did it when it got cold, and even then it was only once or twice in a year.. We are now under an extreme heatwave, so i will be waiting until sundown or the early morning to attempt to get this done.

 

damn, good shops and mechanics seem like a endangered species at this point

 

Yea, its just about a quarter of what the car is worth, that's why I am thinking to do it myself. I founf a breaker bar, but It doesn't fit my current tool set

 

Did your ratchet fit correctly? i was attempting to buy a breaker bar, and the plug was too big for the rest of my tools

 

when I did the starter on the I35 it wasn't too hard. the hardest part I remember was removing a clip that mounted a wire to a bracket. yup I broke it..

 

Update: I got very close to doing it myself, but it was just too hot outside along with mosquitoes biting me everywhere. So I paid the 250$ labor to have it replaced with the Oreilys Ultima starter..

 

$250, dayum