Procedure...
Replacement of the starter on VehiCROSS is not as easy as some of the vehicles I've worked on, but it is pretty straightforward. Almost every starter that I've replaced involved getting underneath, removing two bolts holding the starter in and pulling the unit out without doing anything else. Fast and easy. I was surprised that VehiCROSS wasn't as simple as that as you have to get part of your exhaust out of the way.
The unit I replaced the OEM Denso starter with was a "Duralast" brand from Autozone. It's about $110 bucks and my local Autozone had it in stock. I had pretty good luck with Duralast brand so I just went ahead and used that. It sounds slightly "raspier" than the original OEM unit but other than that it functions the same. The starter I replaced on an 98 Econoline is also using a Duralast starter.... which was installed 2 years ago and is working perfectly.
Right... so before you begin, make sure that your cables, connectors, fuses, etc... leading up to the starter are clean, tight, and otherwise in good working order. The best way to check if your starter is getting juice is to use a volt meter to identify voltage at the cable connecting to the starter (there are two cables running from the battery to the starter - the big one (black/red) is the + and the smaller connector is a switch). If you're seeing anything less than 12.1V at the (+) terminal you've got an issues somewhere between the starter and the battery (assuming your battery is good).
If everything checks out ok, go ahead and put VehiCROSS up on ramps or jack it up (use safety precautions!), disconnect (+) battery terminal and get underneath.
You will not pull the starter out without moving the driver's exhaust pipe out of the way. The bad news is that it /has/ to be moved out of the way so just go ahead and quit wasting time trying to figure out how you can fiddle the starter out of there without removing the exhaust. The good news is that it's /very/ simple and you don't actually have to remove the pipe - just move it out of the way.
1. Remove the aluminium shield underneath the starter (should be approx. underneath the steering wheel when you're under the vehicle)
- 2: Remove two O2 sensors from the driver's side exhaust
- 3: Remove three nuts holding the exhaust pipe to the exhaust manifold at the top
- 4: Trace the exhaust pipe toward the muffler and you will find two more locations each requiring removal of two nuts and bolts (also a gasket you should save or replace if in poor condition). One location is at the muffler and the other joining the passenger's side exhaust.
- 5: Once the pipe is free, observe the opening through which you will pull your starter out and move the exhaust pipe out of the way accordingly. At this point you should be almost directly underneath the driver's seat looking toward the engine bay from underneath the vehicle. The exhaust is flexible past catalytic converter and will allow you a little play to wiggle it out of the way a little bit. You don't need a big opening. Just enough to get the starter through.
- 6: Once the pipe is out of the way, proceed to disconnect the (+) and the ignition switch cabling from the starter. Then remove two 12mm bolts holding the starter and carefully wiggle the starter out.
- 7: Install new starter using the two 12mm bolts you just removed and proceed to reassemble everything else in reverse order.
Note: The starter and the solenoid is in the same unit so you don't have to replace them separately. If you're going to get a Duralast brand, it will be slightly smaller than the OEM. And before reconnecting your exhaust pipe, use a wire brush to get the surfaces nice and clean at the muffler and pass exhaust pipe joints. Don't forget the gasket!
DISCLAIMER:
So you all know I am not a mechanic. The above directions are designed to offer guidance and exhibit the ease of starter replacement procedure. You should consult your workshop manual before attempting any of the above and... of course... use this at your own risk.
If you're not sure about anything post your questions here!
Good luck!
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