How do you replace a starter on a 2000 Honda Odyssey automatic?

Answer 1

I just replaced the starter on a 1999 Honda Odyssey, I think it should be the same or very similar to a 2000 Odyssey as 1999 was the year Honda introduced the new 'sliding-door' Odyssey.

Facing the van from the front the starter was to the right of the main engine in the middle, somewhat to the left of the battery. The bolts connecting the starter to the engine are accessible from the right side.

1. Disconnect the battery

2. Unscrew and remove the 2 long (extended-L-shaped) bolts that 'tie-down' the battery with the odd shaped plate that goes over the top of the battery to hold it in place.

3. Screw the nuts back on the bolts for savekeeping.

4. Remove the battery. (Some shop guy told me not to place the battery on a concrete or tile floor as it slowly discharges. Not sure, but I placed it back in the plastic box on the floor or on one of the floor mats from the van.

5. If there are any wires or cables that are clipped into the plastic box that the battery was placed in then remove them. (2003 had two wires clipped to the left side of the plastic box.)

6. Remove the plastic box that the battery was placed in.

7. Remove the metal platform (a light-grey in my 1999 Odyssey) that the battery/battery-box was resting on.

-Facing the van from the front there is a black electrical box (about the size of a 2 packs of cards together) that is screwed onto the left-hand-side this grey metal plate. Remove this bolt/screw (think it was a 10mm or 11mm head). It is not very difficult to remove I used one of those mini 1/4" ratchet wrenches - the socket goes over the bolt sideways/horizontally. Remove this bolt.

-On the right hand and front side of the light grey metal plate (sort of over the front wheel hub) there is a 2nd bolt holding the plate to the body. You can look straight down at it. It was a 12mm bolt head I think, with the socket going straight down/vertically over the head. I used one of those screwdriver type ratchets. Remove this bolt.

-on the right hand side and back of the light grey metal plate there is a 3rd bolt similar to the second one. Remove this bolt.

CAUTION: There are TWO sets of wires/wire connectors (grey) clipped onto the back of this light grey metal plate. It may not be necessary to unclip them. However, if you do, careful that you do not break the clips. You have to press down on the little lever in the center of the clip and then grasp it firmly and pull them off. Both were the same type. (You want to look for the clips on the bottoms of the connectors, not the ones on the top. The top ones are for disconnecting the two wires, whereas the bottom clips allow you to pull the connectors off the battery tray. The easiest way to reach the bottom clips is to bend the metal flange that each one is attached to.)

(My 2003 had a fourth bolt holding down the battery tray. This bolt was located behind to the right and beneath the tray, vertically connected to the side of the engine compartment. I could not reach this bolt from the top and used a wrench from within the wheel well. Note that you only need to loosen this bolt, not completely remove it, as the battery tray attach point is an open "C" around the bolt. Once the bolt is loose, and the other 3 bolts are remove, the tray will lift out.)

8. If you do not remove those 2 grey wire connectors, then gently turn the platform to the right and out of the way so you have working room. If you did unclip the connectors then just remove the light grey metal tray.

9. Remove the 2 cables connected to the starter/solenoid, one is slim (diameter of a chopstick) the other is thicker like a finger diameter. Both have rubber jackets that cover the connections to prevent moisture/dirt from entering.

-Remove the slimmer cable by grasping it and gently pulling it out. Be careful not to grab the cable itself as you may separate it from the metal connector.

-Pull back the jacket of the thicker cable and remove the nut to disconnect this cable.

The starter and solenoid seem to be one whole assembly of a larger (starter) cylinder and smaller (solenoid) cylinder both a brass color fixed to a silver-grey face plate that is bolted to the engine; when you look at it.

10. Remove the cable connecting the Starter to the solenoid (the smaller cylinder that sits slightly to the back and above of the starter). I disconnected the wire from the solenoid (seemed easier) by undoing the nut . Make sure you remember where this wire/cable was connected.

You should have already seen the large bolt at the top that holds the starter assembly to the engine. Mine was a 17mm head bolt. There is a second 17mm head bolt diagonally opposite underneath that you will not be able to see.

There are also 2 slim long bolts that hold the starter to the silver-grey face plate.

11. Remove these 2 long slim bolts. (My 2003 had a bracket connected to one of the long bolts, which you'll want to push to the side after removing the bolt.)

12. Gently pry the brass color starter away from the silver-greayface plate.

CAREFUL - the cylinder housing may slide off and leave the starter motor still attached but you should still be able to just slide it off.

NOW you should be able to see the lower large 17mm bolt.

13. NOTE - there may be two wire connectors (a black one and a dark reddish-brown one) just below this lower bolt. I disconnected them just in case my wrench slipped and messed up the wires! CAREFUL with the spring type clips again.

The lower bolt is much harder to remove as it is 5 or 6 inches long whereas the top bolt is 3 or 4 inches.

STOP!! BEFORE loosening the bolts make sure that parking prake is on and maybe jam a couble of blocks/rocks in fron of the fron wheels as you will be applying quite a pit of torque/pressure to remove these bolts.

14. Loosen the top bolt

15. Loosen the bottom bolt - you may need a short extension to reach it. Use the shortest extension you can as else the "give" in the extension makes it harder to undo the bolt.

16. remove the bolts and remove the starter/solenoid assembly.

17. I vacuumed the area around the engine opening where the starter went in just in case.

Putting it back was so much easier. I did not have a torque wrench so I just tightened well?!?

18. BEFORE installing the new starter/solenoid assembly repeat STEPS 10, 11, 12.

{A PROBLEM I HAD! the starter motor came out of its brass cylinder when I separated the new starter from the silver grey face plate; and it wouldn't just slip back in!!)So I removed the circular cap at the bottom of the starter cylinder (it was attached by 2 Philips head screws).The starter motor had to slip into 4 rectangular spring blocks and it took me a while. I was able to slide that spring blocks assembly over a 3/4" PVC pipe and with some wiggling and the help of two flat knives I was able to slip the motor back where it belonged. Then I placed it in the brass cylinder and screwed the circular cap at the bottom back on.

19. Now install the starter/solenoid assembly WITH THE STARTER REMOVED back onto the engine with the two 17 mm bolts - REMEMBER the longer bolt is the one at the bottom.

20. Connect any wire connectors you may have removed in step 13

21. Attach the starter with the long slim bolts. (Be sure to reconnect the bracket to the bolt if there was one previously.)

22. Connect the wire/cable from the starter to the solenoid (the one disconnected in step 10).

23. Reconnect the 2 cables from stp 9. BEFORE reconnecting I used a fine grit meta (black) sandpaper to clean the connectors, just in case.

24. Re-install the light grey metal battery platform (careful with any wire connectors clipped to it)

25. Reinstall the black electrical box with one screw to the left of this plate.

26. Place the plastic battery box on the plate and install and secure the battery...

... careful the alarm does not go off :-)

...and hoefull you get that sweet purrrrrrrrrrrrrring engine sound.

NOTE: I bought my starter/solenoid assembly on eBay for about $45 shipped. It was an exact match from a guy who runs a salvage yard I think. He had cleaned and tested it. If you do this make sure the seller has good feedback.