How To Replace Third Gen Starter

STEP 1: Buy Appropriate Starter
Get OEM. As you can see from the below, there is a difference in quality and design. Notice the teeth. OEM should be $200 out the door. I tried the cheaper non-OEM China refurbished and got a nasty squeal. I had to return it and re-do the job. Don't take short cuts like my dumba$$









STEP 2: Disconnect Negative Terminal Battery
10 mm, 1 nut

STEP 3: Remove Splash Guard Apron
Be careful not to break the tabs

STEP 4: Disconnect Steering Column Yoke
12 mm, 2 bolts
You need to disconnect this to make room for removal of starter and it's a tight squeeze





STEP 5: Remove Heat Shield From Starter
10 mm, 3 bolts



STEP 6: Remove Positive Terminal Nut and Plastic Cap From Starter
Plastic tabs
12 mm nut



STEP 7: Remove Negative Terminal From Starter
12 mm nut



STEP 8: De-Attach Wire Harness From Starter
10 mm nut
Pull wire harness away from entire area to make room



STEP 9: Disconnect Electrical Harness
There is a middle, bottom, long tab that needs to be depressed



STEP 10: Disconnect Exhaust Bracket By Header/Cat
3 14 mm bolts
Remove the bottom 2, leave the top one loosened. Move the bracket out of the way to access starter mounting bolts. When re-installing these 3 bolts, note that you can only tighten the top one when the middle one is out.





STEP 11: Disconnect Starter Mounting Bolts
2 14 mm bolts
A stubby ratchet arm is ESSENTIAL. Accessing the upper bolt is the crux of the job. It is very difficult to access with very little clearance, hence the need for a stubby ratchet oriented socket down and handle up.





STEP 12: Wiggle Starter Out
The starter comes out through the bottom, not by the exhaust and not by the wheel well. It's a game of tetris. After messing with it for some time, I recommend the following orientation and I think it's the only orientation that works. Otherwise, additional disassembly of truck or disassembly of starter is warranted. Be careful not to force it and damage suspension, brake or steering components.

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STEP 13: Install New Starter
Reverse of above instructions.
Note, when attempting to re assemble the steeling column and align the yoke, you may have to put a key in the ignition to give the steering wheel wiggle room to get the orientation correct.

 

Estimated time:
- 40 minutes expert
- 2 hours intermediate
- 4 hours newbie

 

Very good !! It was the starter drive making the noise ??

 

I have no idea. All I know is I've changed a starter on a 2nd gen and 3rd gen. They DO NOT like water.

 

After a few weeks, I can say the OEM starter is 100x better than the non-OEM. It just starts faster. Look at the detail in the teeth.

 

nope

 

Great write up

 

Great writeup! This is why I quit doing my own mechanical work since the 70s and 80s. Last time I replaced a starter it went like this:
1. Remove old starter
2. Install new starter
They were designed for maintenance back then, now you can barely see the engine.

 

I believe you on the,they don't like water,shit you replaced this on your 2019.lol great write up with all the pictures will help a lot of people.thanks

 

NEVER buy chinese parts! I have RARELY had good experience with chinese parts and you can pretty much tell if they are by the poor casting quality too. And don't EVER use DNJ parts...they have U.S. flags all over their site and state they sell "japanese parts" but TRUST me they're chinese. Guys on an old 4runner forum swear by them but I used their t-belt kit for my subi, it cost as much as the aisin kit but was supposed to be "made in america"...it was obviously chinese parts. Worst part the tensioner leaked and failed at 12,000 miles (JUST out of their warranty) and I got to do a no-warranty head job and replace ALL my valves too.


The bigger question...why did your starter fail on such a new vehicle?

 

Literally drove through water one time. It submerged the starter for 15 seconds or less. Starter died a week later. I had the same experience on my 2nd gen. These trucks are not made to drive through water. Don't let the snorkel fool ya.

 

good writeup

 

The breathers can be extended, just like we do on the diffs. I'm looking at upgrading the 1.4kw starter to a cold spec 2.0kw from the older trucks... either way, the breather will be raised and modified to prevent the water ingress.

 

Good to know! How deep would you say the water was? Like where did it come to on the truck? We get some flooding in these parts and having a 4x4 trd offroad I can see myself being braver than I should

 

Holy crap this is exactly what I am looking for

 

tacomas are for dry offroading only apparently, saw another thread regarding a messed up front diff actuator because it got wet

 

Oh yeah. When I yank the skid ill toss some dielectric in that too. Hopefully to help keep moisture out of that shit show

 

You're saying a new Tacoma starter is $200?? I would have thought it was 3 times that.

 

Thanks for this write up, I'm going to change my starter out this weekend. Coppinger Cove has mine ruined and clicking when starting. Damn you water....

 

I'm waiting on mine to be delivered over the weekend