I am trying to do it myself, Last week oil got on my engine because it wasn't closed right and my engine went kabloom. Today I looked under the hood to begin my first ever self repair on a vehicle I am 19 BTW. I looked down and saw two pieces of the starter wall just laying on the bottom of the chassis. Anyway I been raising the car to get at the starter and starter seleniod so I can finally get this car running but I can't find a away to get to the starter. It's blocked by this giant ass plate where I cannot locat any screws to it so I can get to it. It's all cramped in there. I can have pictures and video tomorrow I have samsung instinct so I have pic/vid capabilities. But for now anyone got general idea or can direct me to a website or some manual telling me what i need to remove to get to the starter?

When I turn the key I just head nothing at all. This happened ever since the kablood from spilled oil about 2 weeks ago. So yeah I need help I will answer any questions you have. Generally the selenoid looks fine but I might as well replace that anyway then from the looks of it starter goto be replaced to. Which will set me back 50-120 depending on which auto place in my area sells there part.

This shouldn't be the first step to solve your problem, but you can simply break off the plate if it's plastic. I don't know for sure, but quite a lot of people here seem not to have their starter covers in place.

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94 SSEi - Project car
99 SLE - Tuned with different parts and such
85 Porsche 944 - Daily driver
68 Chevy C-10 - Free truck! Needs parts.

Don't break ANYTHING off. That's not very sound advice, even for plastic parts. There's a right way and a wrong way.

Let's take this from the beginning:

Why are you replacing a starter on a moter that went KABOOM? Can you turn the motor over by hand with a socket on the crankshaft (crank pulley/harmonic balancer)?


Moving to the proper section.

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93 SSEi, 95 SLE (supercharged) 97 Buick LeSabre Limited
PontiacDad at WCBF '04: Cruise control? That's like surrendering!
Comprehensive guide to troubleshooting, rebuilding, and modifying Eaton Superchargers

No, the start seems like it's it's all out of line and it's obviious thats where the kaboom came from which explains the pieces of the starter lying around at bottom of engine Anyone know how to take off that big splash plate so I can take out the broken starter and put in new starter and seleniod. It's obvios the starter is trash. The back plate is just hanging off and parts are loose. So I rather go ahead and replace them both. So anyone got a idea of how I can remove that big ass plate stopping me from getting from the starters. Or procedures pretty sure the starter or starter seleniod are the probelm. Before I went under hood I turn key lights come on everything electrical. Poweseats work and power windows AC words. It's just I hear a click sometimes when set in part and switch key to on. I have not trried turnining the key while working on getting new starter in. The battery is disconnected anyway and would be pointless seeing the condition of the start itself..\

I just need to know where the bolts are so I can take off that giant splash plate under the engine so I can get at the starter.
Sure would be nice if the starter was at top lol


Also like to add I already tried battery stuff. New battery. Jumping, Making sure wire on tight. Bt after seeing pieces of the walls of the start laying on the bottom of the chassis I know it the starter. When turn the key I hear no start/crank. I just hear I click thats it. SO am sure it maybe the starter itself but a cheap new starter solenoid won't hurt nobody. Also my fall is filled to the brim of gas. so I want it fix bad.

The reason starter cases break apart is usually because the engine has locked or seized. This usually happens when a cylinder fills with coolant from an internal leak - the condition is called hydrolock. Other reasons are seized piston(s) or bearings, bent connecting rods, bent or broken crankshaft. (See the broken crankshaft in my avatar?) That is why you need to see if the engine can be rotated by hand BEFORE you change out the starter, and that is why willwren asked you if you could turn the engine over by hand. If you can't turn the engine over by hand, something is seriously wrong with the engine, and you will only destroy a new starter if you install one.

That is why we are NOT explaining how to remove the splash shield or change out the starter. It is not the first thing you need to do.

So, get a big socket that fits the bolt on the front of the crankshaft (the big pulley at the bottom of the engine behind the passenger wheel), and find a nice, long handle and see if you can turn the engine through at least two revolutions. You should feel resistance to turning as each piston comes up on its compression stroke, and hear some hissing as you compress and release the air within the cylinders, but you should be able to turn it by hand.

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1998 3.8 Dodge Caravan 214K
2000 3.3 Dodge Caravan 175K
1949 Plymouth Special Deluxe 4-dr sedan 25K (needs some work!)

Rule #1 of auto repair. Always find the cause of your problem. Don't go throwing parts at it.

Well this is why we have mechanics in this world for people not car savy. I know why now people send their car off to mechanic even for a little knock in the engine or whatever. Probably was just worth saving my money and not do nothing when the car stop working. But tomorrow I will try to turn the belt. If it don't I am finished and probably gonna go for another car or new one. See I really need a running car I have cystic fibrosis and how lame the car went kaboom as I was actually driving myself to the ER so I need a running car. And when I was working on taking that starter out it took a lot out of me. The work helps give me a little work out. But I am just now getting tired of it. Was having the common turn key no crank no start problem since I got the car free back in march from my grandparents. It was just sitting around in the yard for a few years I think.

So I am just frustrated. but will try this technique when the sun come up. Hopefully it works. Otherwise the car is gone. Got enough to worry about.

I got problem I went out and turn the engine thing..it was turnable very hard to turn but it wouldn't let me go any further after a certain point

ALso I seem to have misplaced my battery which I had charged yesterday. I don't know where I put the thing...now I can't do anything. Hope I didn't like leave it outside and somebody bold came and stole it. Because my driveway is long and goes down a hill and I was outside most of the day trying to get that busted starter out. Which I did without taking a plate out. The selenoid is what left.

But I wont do anything else until I figure where I placed that battery. If it don't show up by christmas then oh well. Guess I'll just get a newer model car or something.

Remove all 6 spark plugs and try to turn it by hand again.

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Click here for mod list for both cars
93 SSEi, 95 SLE (supercharged) 97 Buick LeSabre Limited
PontiacDad at WCBF '04: Cruise control? That's like surrendering!
Comprehensive guide to troubleshooting, rebuilding, and modifying Eaton Superchargers