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DIY: Starter Replacement...Finally!!!

274K views 265 replies 123 participants last post by  fjkayaker 
#1 ·
So ever since I have been having issues starting my car on the first try I have been in search of a DIY to replace the Starter in my 04 330CI. After only finding threads talking about dropping the Transmission or removing the Intake Manifold I was almost ready to take it into the shop. I finally came across some very vague instruction on the process to get to the Starter, I decided to tackle this one. Knowing how helpless I felt without a good DIY I decided to make one for us. Now keep in mind I'm not a Mechanic or E46 expert, but I do love working on my car. If your car has a Manual Transmission or is an XI things might look a little different under the car. This is how I changed my Starter on my 330CI with an Automatic Transmission so use this as a guide but not repair manual.

I just want to take a second to give a shout out to you guys on E46Fanatics and Bimmerfest that got my pointing in the right direction. I hope Paraklas doesn't mind I stole a couple of his pictures as I forgot to take them. Thanks they helped a ton too.

Now lets get started:

Step 1:
Park the car on solid level ground with the E brake full applied. Having some blocks of wood behind the rear wheels to stop the car from rolling when you jack it up. Go ahead and disconnect the battery, don't worry E46 radio do not need any code to reactivate them. I disconnected the negative cable and just tucked it under the carpet.

Step 2:
Remove the Cabin Air Filter Cover buy turning the three plastic clips 90o CCW. They just pop out with a spring, don't worry they wont fall off the cover. Its a good idea to lay things out as you pull them off so you can keep track of what you took off.



Step 3:
Pull out the Cabin Air Filter, it just sits inside there so pull it forward and up.



Step 4:
Remove the Cabin Air Filter Housing. Using a T30 Torx bit remove the 4 gold screws. These screws will stay in the holes so only undo them enough for the Housing to pull out.



Step 5:
Pull the weather stripping from the drivers side corner of the engine bay. This goes around the Brake Reservoir. You can also slide off the two hoses that pass through with the rubber grommets. Just watch the little plastic tabs between here that hold the weather stripping as the break off easy.



Step 6:
Turn this plastic clip 90o CCW, this will free the plastic guard that goes around the Brake Reservoir. The guard has three tabs on the bottom that hold it in places so just pull up. you have to fight with it to get it right out, but it will come. I flexed the bigger hose a lot to get this out to the point where it leaked out air. So don't worry if you hear air, just don't break the hose.



Step 7:
Remove the cover to the Blower Motor (the one that blows AC and heat into the car) This will give you more room to work behind the engine. Two T30 Torx screws.



Step 8:
Standing on the driver side of the car and looking down in the area where you just removed all these parts you will see the Four Heater Core Hoses. I took a long tywrap and tied them out of the way. This should give you enough room to see the two mounting bolts for the starter. You wont be able to see the starter very well from here. The yellow line shows where the Return Fuel line was tywraped to the black holder. This holder is mounted using one of the E12 Torx bolts for the Starter. The green lines show the two E12 Torx bolts for the Starter. The blue line points to the front of the car.

 
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#231 ·
First off, you're not a beginner mechanic. Give yourself a promotion immediately.
Brilliant first write up !
Really nice work.
Alas if my prejudice shows, way mucho props to a female! I hear way too many girls say they work on their cars, but then turns out not to be true. They help daddy.
You are doing it, and I am impressed.
Good Luck, and snap a few pics if you have a chance.
 
#233 ·
Thank you so much Stinger9 !! I was actually nervous to post, but you made me feel better about that!!
Land vehicle Vehicle Car Alloy wheel Wheel

Follow up to my first post.

The following is a list of tools I used: Sawzall, grinder, hammer !! Needless to say, I am resourceful. I have every carpentry tool imaginable and was so determined to get that Top Bolt out ... So I cut off the closed end of a wrench with the grinder (sawzall wouldn't touch it!), then I sawed a Pipe from my Pipe Clamp collection, and hammered it flat to fit over the end of the wrench, for leverage. After all this, I still had to go 15 miles to a mechanic shop to borrow the Bolt Out Socket. Which as I said earlier, was the TICKET !!
Wire Floor Tile Flooring

Auto part Tool accessory


After my 5 hr roundtrip drive, I got 2 hardened steel bolts to replace the aluminum bolts holding in the starter. Can anyone tell me WHY would BMW use aluminum bolts?? They are so soft and easily damaged.
Product Screw Metal Door handle


Well, back to my progress. With new bolts in hand I began the process of reinstalling the new "larger" starter. First I measured the alignment pin hole in the new starter and compared to the old one. Lucky me, they were the same. BUT .... when taking the starter out, it FELL out so easily after the 2nd bolt was removed, I figured the alignment pin fell off somewhere. I never could find the pin. I took a shot of my bell housing and no pin attached there, either, so not sure where the thing is suppose to be. Appears possibly I never had one. Anyone have a thought on this?? Even in other's picture of the bell housing, a pin wasn't visible.
Auto part Automotive fuel system Fuel pump Cylinder

Auto part Automotive exhaust Engine Exhaust system


The new starter was so difficult to get twisted into its position after getting the wires started. :cry: My shoulder was trashed. I was forced to give up and get help from someone who could hold it in the air and hook up at the same time. It then, only took 2 hours to get it in, wired and tightened up.

Hooked up battery, and fired up the car. WHOOOOO HOOOOO it started right up !! Yeah, I have to admit, I was very surprised !!

So, while I was all primed in doing repairs, I replaced the fuel filter and flushed out and replaced the coolant. Got everything buttoned back up, and the Garage Queen is running fine and dandy !! Yes it probably took me 5 times longer than most anyone else, but I learned so much in the process. Again, I thank all of you posters for directions and advice.

Hmmmm :hmm: would I tackle that job again ?? LOL, probably :thumbup: ... but not for another ten years !! My next project is the transmission fluid. Would have done it now ... but I was so beat up I needed a TIME OUT from underneath my car !!

Look forward to seeing you all around again soon! :thumbsup:
 
#236 ·
HELP!! I tried to replace the starter today and in the process, I was tightening the 13 mm nut where the + battery cable and alternator cable connects to...I think my socket slipped and cracked the black plasticky piece,part of the starter/solenoid cracked (behind the nut, where the bolts threaded in).. it is still in place... But how bad is it? I tried to get pictures, but it was a weird angle and could not point my camera... please advice..
 
#237 ·
..I think my socket slipped and cracked the black plasticky piece, part of the starter/solenoid cracked (behind the nut, where the bolts threaded in).. it is still in place... But how bad is it? I tried to get pictures, but it was a weird angle and could not point my camera... please advise..
You cracked the black plastic Bakelite insulator terminal mount.
I understand what you are describing, but cannot really evaluate things without a picture. Try again please.
As an aside, you've always got to throttle back in the pressure you apply when tightening anything on a car. Things are much more fragile than you might imagine. Less is oft enough.
Usually because you're in there with all the effort you've expended, and the doubt you'd always have about the future reliability, it's best to fix this with a new part. You could go back to the supplier and explain, and request that they give you a big break on trading in this new cracked starter.
But maybe if I could see it, I'd be OK with leaving it in place.
Make sense?
 
#239 ·
Well, ended up having to use a crow bar to break the old starter loose. Then pry with a g big screw driver, finally loose enough to wiggle and it still wouldn't come off. Pry more with the crowbar right at the guide pin, and wiggle, and off. Now to get it back together. Thanks to all of you! I really did not want to take off the intake manifold.


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#240 ·
Thank you to everyone who posted here and provided all of the tips and suggestions. I wanted to add my 2 cents as i just finished this job on a friends 2005 330ci auto. This job sucked.

People in this thread say you can remove the starter from either the top or the bottom, but i tackled it from both angles. Don't forget to disconnect the negative terminal on battery. I took off the cabin filter housing, the plastic piece on the side, and the air box. I asked myself after 5 minutes why i took out the air box, because it did not give me any more room at all. I guess if one wants to do this solely from the top, then maybe the air box and hoses should come off? I thought removing the starter from the bottom seemed easier and it helps to pry it from the top. Removing these plastic parts doesn't take long. This car did not have a vacuum canister for some reason, so i did not need to take that off. I removed the covers underneath the car and the fuel filter housing. The aluminum brace bolts were on there tight so you'll need a 1/2 ratchet and a 16mm or impact. I went and bought two 10" wobble extensions and a 6" wobble to construct that franken kabob (you probably don't need these, but the wobbles help so much as someone else suggested). I also bought the 3/8 gear wrench, which actually didn't really help. Both bolts can be accessed from the bottom. Specifically, i used a 1/2 ratch with a 3/8 reducer to the two 10" wobble extensions, a 6" wobble, another 6" extension, and a swivel on the end with duct tape wrapped around it and the E12 socket to prevent it from moving so much. You only need it to rotate like 20 degrees. I fed it through the back of the tranny and guided it along the side until i could use my hand to stick it on the bottom bolt. Someone who has larger arms might not be able to get their hand in there. My friend, standing on a cinder block, helped me guide it to the top bolt using a magnetic pickup tool from the top of the car. I was able to stick my arm up next to the control arm and feel the top bolt and the extension, but couldn't quite feed it on. That's why having a friend helps. Bolts were tight but i got them off. I actually broke the top bolt loose with the 3/8 gear wrench and another wrench attached with duct tape before loosening it with the extension (a pipe or socket over the wrench would be better). It will take all day if you loosen it with the 3/8 gear wrench because there is just zero room. I left the top bolt in the hole because getting it back in seemed impossible. The starter was in there tight! I had to spray WD-40 on the pin to loosen it up, but after about 20 minutes of wiggling with hands and a pry bar/crow bar (must have), it finally came off. It's only attached by those two bolts, even though it seems like its still attached because of how tight it was on the tranny. My friend helped keep the pry bar around the pin area so it didn't slip off and break something. The pin stayed in the hole on this car. Detaching the wires was pretty easy IMO. A combo gear wrench would help and i happened to have one. Use a 13mm, 10m, and 8mm for the nuts. I couldn't twist the starter very much but i angled it down a little bit for better accessibility. I didn't need to label the wires, because each one is a different size and goes onto its corresponding bolt, but make sure to keep an eye on them in case they get lost in the maze of other hoses. Starter came out easily if you guide it toward the fuel filter (take off the shield, its easy!). Install in reverse order. My starter went right over the pin, even after lubing it with some WD. Anti-seize wouldn't hurt either. I accidentally broke a small hose going from the fuel filter to the intake, but luckily i had extra hose, so be careful when tugging on things no matter how pissed you get. BE PATIENT! Also, be sure to test before putting everything back together.

The symptoms we had when diagnosing the problem were no cranking and just a click when turning the key. It would try to turn over very slowly after 4-5 turns of the key. Other symptoms of a bad or aging starter are progressively slow starts. Once the new starter was on (bosch SR0448N), it was like new again. Effortless starting. Good luck to all and make sure to stay focused when doing this. I felt like giving up a couple of times, but got it done and felt super good and sore afterward.

Tools I used:
Jack
Jack stands
T30 torx
E12 star socket (autozone has them) $20, or order online
1/2 ratchet
3/8 ratchet
1/4 ratchet
(2) 3/8 10" wobble extensions
(1) 3/8 6" wobble extension
(2) 3/8 6" extensions
(1) 1/4 6" extension
(1) 1/2 2" extension
1/2 to 3/8 reducer
U joint socket
Drill with socket adapter and phillips bit
Magnetic pickup tool
Pry bar
16mm, 13mm, 10mm, 8mm
WD-40
Duct Tape
3/8 gear wrench
13/10/8 combo gear wrench
1/2 wrench
flashlight
gloves
 
#241 ·
When I did this on my M3 I tackled it from the top so I could perform other maintenance at the same time (cleaning the ICV, throttle bodies, ...).

Its really not that bad from the top. The hardest part is turning the 2 starter bolts. I used a box-end wrench, 1/4 turn at a time. Took 10 mins per bolt and scraped knuckles.
 
#243 ·
Does Anyone have the pictures that accompany the original post? they are no longer being shown/hosted. Thanks
 
#244 · (Edited)
I just did this job about 3-weeks ago, sorry I don't have pictures.

But I did find suggestions in this thread helpful and a couple of video's on utube.

Here is what I did-

#1, go to the trunk and disconnect the battery, I took the negative cable off.

Put the car up on four jack stands positioned at the four jack points

Remove the Cabin Air Filter Cover
Pull out the Cabin Air Filter
Remove the Cabin Air Filter Housing
Pull the weather stripping from the drivers side corner of the engine bay. This goes around the Brake Reservoir.
You can also slide off the two hoses that pass through with the rubber grommets.
Remove the plastic guard that goes around the Brake Reservoir.
Remove the cover to the Blower Motor (the one that blows AC and heat into the car) This will give you more room to work behind the engine.

Now go underneath-

Next you have to remove the large black plastic belly pan under the engine.
Remove the Aluminum skid plate protecting the Transmission.
Remove the Skid Plate for the fuel filter.

At this point you can see the starter from below.

I bought this set of flex ratchet head 12-point wrenches.
http://www.harborfreight.com/5-pc-sae-flex-head-combination-ratcheting-wrench-set-60591.html

You don't need all the extensions and sockets that are suggested in other posts, the 3/8" and 1/2" flex-head-combination-ratcheting-wrench,
along with a 8mm and 10mm sockets are all you need to remove the starter itself.

Next I disconnected two of three wires on the solenoid, one is the power cable that has a 13mm nut, I'd used a 1/2 flex wrench which fits perfectly and removed.
The second wire is the outside one which has a 10mm nut, I used a small 1/4" drive metric socket set I have to remove.

Next I went top side, put a towel or blanket on the driver's side fender so you don't scratch the paint.

I removed the top bolt of the starter using a 3/8" 12-point flex wrench, you can reach the bolt by reaching down behind the engine by the firewall,
once the bolt was threaded all the way out of the starter I left it sitting in the bell housing hole loose.

I then went below and removed the bottom starter bolt using a 3/8" 12-point flex wrench, once the bolt was threaded all the way out of the starter I left it sitting in the bell housing hole loose.

Now to get the starter out I went back top side, I had to use a tire iron and pry between the starter and bell housing to get the starter loose from the alignment dowel pin.

Once loose go back underneath, point nose of starter to the sky and remove the remaining solenoid wire with the 8mm nut.

The starter comes out from underneath.

I bought a "brand new" Bosch SR0448N starter, being the bitch of a job this is I only wanted to make the repair once.

I paid around $132.00 brand new shipped to the door and no core charge.

I had read some people drilled out the dowel pin hole on the new starter to ease with re-installation.
The hole measures around .317", I took the next bigger drill size .328" and ran it through the dowel pin hole.

To re-install the starter, do the reverse, work starter from underneath, re-connect 10mm wire to solenoid.
Then insert starter back into the bell housing, I started the bottom bolt and run in 90% of the way.
Then went topside and put top bolt back in the starter and tighten.
Back underneath I tighten the bottom starter bolt.

Reconnect 13mm power cord and 8mm wire on solenoid.

At this point I reconnected the battery negative terminal in the trunk and tested starting the car.

Yippee it works!!!

Then reinstall all the remaining parts that you removed.

Good Luck
 
#263 ·
Reviving an old Thread.

I'm a long time BMW wrench turner and have a really good workshop (lift and air tools). I just want to affirm that Ultramax12's DIY procedure is THE procedure to use to remove the E46 M54 starter. I have 4 feet of extensions and swivel joints and I could not reach the top starter mounting bolt. IMO the only way to get the top bolt out is go at it from the top as described by ultramax 12. Don't bother trying any other method.
 
#248 ·
10mm box wrench/sockets work for E12 bolts.

Not sure what would work for E14.

My advice is to BE CAREFUL (yeah...i know) because you could strip it. If you are able to, just lower the transmission a bit, use a bunch of extensions, and get a real E14 socket onto it.
 
#249 ·
there are people that say you can use a 10mm flex head stubby and in the guide too he mentions a 3/8 box, that's why i'm getting confused on what to buy to start. I'm going to go into the dealers today to buy a bolt so hopefully i can find something that will work.

It's hard finding these tools in Australia without getting them shipped.

I bought a e14 spanner already and i was following the utube guide that doesn't require removing the manifold or lowering transmission but i couldn't get my hand up to the lower bolt, after i read this guide i see i didn't remove one of the skids so i will try again today.

I will buy extensions and joint etc like the guide says but

I noticed looking from the top i can't see any bold there. I think it might be missing??

Does that bold also screw in from the back like the botom bolt does?

I'm in a tough position as my car doesn't start so i have to get it towed somewhere if i want to get it fixed and cash flow is another big problem atm. I'm also worried about removing the manifold or lowering since I've never done anything like that before.

So stressful...

Does anyone have the pics from this DIY? maybe you could email or something? pls pm me as that would help greatly
 
#254 · (Edited)
Starter is Not Reversed Treaded........



Mr. Zardoz33 I feel your pain. Confirming from someone who has done the job twice hunting down starting issues. When I first took my OEM starter off I had to use the torque socket with a breaker bar and I even took the pipe off my floor jack as a further extension. I went in from the top so the entire intake manifold was out and could be easily done from this perspective. With that kind of leverage it was pretty easy. You just have to be easy with it. The power is in the leverage not in muscling it. Back then I only had a 12" breaker bar. Now, I bought an 18" and 25" breaker bar. I got the cheap ones from Harbor Freight.

Also, don't under estimate the penetrating oil. WD-40 penetrating oil. Not the stuff in the blue can, although that could still help a bit, but it's in the yellow and gray can. Also, use the gray/silverish anti-seize grease when you put the bolts back in. You'll never have the same problem again.

You need to get scientific to put the right torque back on the bolts coming in from the top. Or just go with the garage mechanic way of when it's too hard to get a torque wrench on it, in these type of situations, put them on really tight, and keep it moving.

Good luck, and God's speed.

Cheers,
William
 
#262 ·
Excellent write up. I do have a tip for everyone...CHECK YOUR ENGINE MOUNT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE TO MAKE SURE WIRE IS GROUNDED AND MOUNT ISN'T CRACKED CAUSING A BREAK IN THE CIRCUIT!!!
Changed my starter and it still wouldn't start or crank. I just wish that I saw where it was cracked prior to doing this incredibly difficult starter change. Mount is 45$. Just happy black Betty is purring again.
 
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