I Tried to Get in the Starter Business

Our house has two sourdough starters, and I tried adding a third to the mix last weekend. I recently changed the starter on a 2002 Saturn L300. We should replace the car, but for now, replacing the starter at home was better than replacing it in a parking lot (provided we could leave the car and work on it in the lot) or paying for a tow home.

My online research indicated that it was a challenging project because of the starter’s location. It was under the exhaust manifold and over the transmission. It was only accessible from the right wheel well and required the removal of the tensioner and alternator. Two wiring harness brackets needed to be removed to allow the starter to be removed and reinstalled. The starter was tough to see, but there was a small, quarter-inch inspection hole to look through to get a swivel socket attachment on to disconnect the starter and positive battery cables. It took three hours to get the starter out and two hours to get it back in. However, we have peace of mind that the starter won’t leave us stranded for now.

What have you worked on this week? I would love to hear about it in the comments below.

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