Neither. Jack the car up and remove the tire. It is literally right there.
first you want to make sure you get both the wires off the back of the starter (this will make it easier later) after that it is 2 bolts holding the starter to the bell housing
No, it is not hard to change a starter on a 2001 VW Passat. However, one should use caution when working on any component of a cars electrical system and also have all necessary tools and parts on hand to make the repair easier.
It would be much wiser and easier to have your local garage do the job. The 3rd bolt is extremely hard to reach.
The easiest way to change them is on a hoist. if you dont have acess to one jack up the front of the car and put stands under it.disconnect the batterythere will be two bolts going through the starter into the bellhousing, remove the two bolts. they should be 13mmonce you remove the starter remove the wires attached to the solenoid making sure to take note of where the wires go.it is easier to remove the wires once the starter is out as you will have more room.when you put the new starter in put the wires on firstfit the starter then reconnect the batteryRead more: http://www.justanswer.com/questions/1woj2-change-starter-motor-ford-falcon#ixzz0TUgd4eNV
The starter is removed from the bottom of the car, you will have to raise the front to be able to remove the two bolts thet are holding the starter to the transmission and the bracket on the back, the top bolt will be kind of dificult but with the right tools it is easier, just remember to hook all the wires back in the right place.
Remove the positive battery cable first. The starter is on the passenger side of the engine. Might be easier to get to from below. Remove the bolts holding the wiring to it than the bolts that mount the starter in place. Be careful if it has shims that you make sure you put them back in the same way. (These are little thin spacers that go between the mounting surface and the starter). Installation is reverse. Probably would take you no more than 30 minutes to do it all.
I dont think that fixing a starter is a worthwhile endeaver, replacement is an easier and quicker option. Finding a new bendix drive wont be as easy as going to the parts store but if you want to try replacing it a Haynes manual will have step by step instructions Autozone.com will have good detail as well.
The crank position sensor is located on the back side of the engine (the side that faces the firewall) slightly above the starter on the engine block at the number 3 cylinder. It is held on by one 10mm bolt and the wiring plugged into it. I would recommend removing the starter to change this sensor as it will be much easier.
the back top paneling is just held on with clips, i believe if you start on the ends it's easier.
It is easier to reverse a physical change.
Yes all personal repairs are legal, if you are only replacing the pads and rotors/drums you can easily do it yourself. Bleeding the brakes is easier with 2 people.
The starter is located under the intake manifold. The first thing you need to do is disconnect the battery. The bolts on the starter are 15mm. You need to jack the car up or get it on a hoist to get one of the bolts out. The other bolt is a lil harder to get at but you dont need the car in the air to get at it. It makes it easier to get at if you remove the A/C compressor. You will need about a two foot long extention to get to the bolt. I advise spraying penetrating oil on the bolts and letting it sit for about 15 min. You will have to try and slide the starter out the bottom. It will make it easier if you take off the oil filter before you try to slide it out. So basically you can do two jobs at once. Change the starter and the oil. I hope this helped.