How do you replace a starter on a 2000 an Infiniti I-30?

Answer 1

I just did it - a little tougher for a non-mechanic like myself than the answers I found posted would indicate.

First - take off airbox. There are three screws connecting it to the body of the car. You can take off the screws connecting it to the bracket too, but you don't have too. You should remove the bracket from the car, though. Unplug that electrical connector by pushing down on the green tab and pulling it off.

Move the whole mess out of the way. You'll have to unplug the three hoses toward the front of the engine from the assembly, and two of those hoses have those damn metal clamps on them (use a pliers). Loosen the clamp on the exhaust hose going to the engine, but on the airbox side of it. Move the airbox out of the way - you can sort of wedge it under the edge of the hood.

Now - remove the nut holding the wire that's nearest to the firewall (the other nut has a connection to the other part of the starter, and doesn't need to be removed.) Pull that whole wire assembly out of the way. It's connected to a bracket, and to remove it you need to stick a tiny flat blade screwdriver into the top. Shine a flashlight in there - you'll see a little black tab flush against the metal piece. Pull that tab away from the metal with the screwdriver and the whole assembly pulls up.

See those wires blocking your way from getting at that top nut? Another one of those black tab things! This one is tough to loosen up, I ended up breaking the round plastic piece. Oh well. Move those wires out of the wire.

Now, here's a little trick - you still have that bracket in the way. After you remove the bolts on the starter, it will stop you from taking it out. Mechanic trick: take a thick screwdriver and bend the whole bracket up and out of the way. Crude, but it worked great.

Remove the top bolt - 14 mm. Now the tough one - the bottom bolt (it's actually visible, it's on the right side at about 4:00). You need a 17mm socket ON A SWIVEL. If you haven't used this before, here's how:

It's a "universal joint". It swivels. Attach the 17mm socket to it, and an extension to the other end. Put it on the bolt and it will be sticking straight out. Pull it up so it's tilting up, about 2:00. Put your ratchet on the extension and USE A BREAKER BAR (or, in my case, a piece of pipe). It will come loose pretty easily. Here's the alternative: don't do any of that, fight with the damn thing for an hour trying to get it loose, skin your knuckles, bleed a bit, curse a lot, and think about burning the car.

The first way is easier.

Okay, almost there. Pull it out, but wait - there's still a soldered on wire. The other end is on a slide on bracket. You can try sliding it off - I tried. Then I snapped it off (hey, there's limits.) Now it just disconnects by pulling apart, or use a screwdriver to help separate it.

Installation, as they say, is the reverse of removal. Except for one thing: remember that exhaust hose going to the engine? You may have trouble getting it back on (I did). Another mechanic trick: spray it with WD-40 or Liquid Wrench. After messing around for 20 minutes, I sprayed it and got it back on in a couple of minutes.

Good luck!