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91 corolla starter location?

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#1 ·
Can anyone tell me where to find the starter in my 91 corlolla dx. Manual trany.,front wheel dr. I believe it has the AFI engine. Mine is bad and I need to replace it but I can't find it and I have no manual. Please help.
 
#10 ·
From the top eh? You may be onto someting. I know it's not an easy chore from the bottom. People saying under the intake are correct. You will have to raise the car, or at least the passenger side quite a bit. It helps make the passage easier also by unloading the suspension on that side. It seems like it may not come out but it does with some finangling. First disconnect battery. Believe me. Take off entire air box, top and bottom. The two bolts holding the starter come from 2 differnt directions The top is from the drivers side. It will have a wiring loom hiding it(unless this job has been done before and the prev. person did'nt bolt it back down) This loom has a nut or bolt holding it from accessing the top bolt easily. Move the loom enough to access the top starter bolt. The starter bolt is I believe a 14 mm about 2 inches long. Take it out next. From underneath disconnect the 13mm nut on the lug and unclip the solinoid wire. The bottom bolt passes from pass. side towward drivers side and is easier to get to IMO. (but then I have some longer extensions for my ratchet. Not much room to move a ratchet and it may be very tight (if never removed) so be sure the socket is set well and square so as not to strip the head. I turn my wheels to the left and come from the top of the A-Arm with about 2 ft' of extension so I am sure it sets well and I'm not torqueing out of square. Once it breaks free your cool to go on under neath. This is just my way. You may get it just fine from under the engine. I also use a breaker bar first then use an air ratchet. Wobble extensions are also life savers IMO. Once unbolted it's just a matter of getting around the tie rod and down out the hole between the frame and engine. Good luck and hopefully it's not caked in grease. That always puts more frustration.
 
#11 ·
i lean over the engine and hook my right arm uder the intake after removing the air cleaner asymbly ....i feel around with my hand blindly to see whats going on then i get to work....i remove the wires and the bolted down battery cable first i know where they are from looking at the new starter....then i remove the two 14mm bolts for the starter with a short ratchet or a wrench....then i wiggle the starter from the top and pull it out with the same right hand that i used for everything else ....then i replace everything with the new stuff
 
#12 ·
sportrally88 said:
i lean over the engine and hook my right arm uder the intake after removing the air cleaner asymbly ....i feel around with my hand blindly to see whats going on then i get to work....i remove the wires and the bolted down battery cable first i know where they are from looking at the new starter....then i remove the two 14mm bolts for the starter with a short ratchet or a wrench....then i wiggle the starter from the top and pull it out with the same right hand that i used for everything else ....then i replace everything with the new stuff
i did it this way as well, i had to have someone reach from the pass side to hold the starter in place so i could get the 1st bolt in, but from there i had it easily. tho i think i removed the intake and evap canister.
 
#16 · (Edited by Moderator)
I have to replace my starter again, it has a flat spot and sometimes it will not fire up until several attempts, then it will spin over. I replaced it in 2003 with one from Autozone. I checked with Autozone today, they said my starter has a lifetime warranty :clap: so they will exchange my starter one for a new one without me having to spend a dime.

now all I have to do is get a ride their after I take off the old one.

Kinda sad it only lasted 3 years, but happy it's covered for life :cool:

it's a real bitch pulling it out and replacing it, the last one I had to go through the bottom under the car and had to do it all by feel, cannot see it under the intake... WTF were thos Japs thinking?
 
#18 ·
No, it's the solenoid (has a short) thats gone bad, and a flat spot on the windings and armetuer that has the problems., its not mechanical... no problem with teeth. Sorry, but you misunderstood what I meant when saying it won't start without a few tries every so often.. not every time, but still too often..

and it also is scaring the wife when the engine not turn over several times a few times a week.. it just cicks.. I've been through this 1 million times in my life starting with cars from the 1950's and 1960's and 1970's. I know this problem al too well. I once had a 1966 Lincoln that ate starters for lunch..

I had a 1955 chevy that you could literally drive arouned the block using the starter with it first gear,,,'
 
#20 ·
Thanks for the description... can you by any chance take some pics?

I finally found it kind of in the rear of the engine, looking from the top. But are you sure
I have to go from the passenger's side? It looks like the driver's side is easier?

are you saying you have to wrench both from the top and the bottom?



silkydraws said:
From the top eh? You may be onto someting. I know it's not an easy chore from the bottom. People saying under the intake are correct. You will have to raise the car, or at least the passenger side quite a bit. It helps make the passage easier also by unloading the suspension on that side. It seems like it may not come out but it does with some finangling. First disconnect battery. Believe me. Take off entire air box, top and bottom. The two bolts holding the starter come from 2 differnt directions The top is from the drivers side. It will have a wiring loom hiding it(unless this job has been done before and the prev. person did'nt bolt it back down) This loom has a nut or bolt holding it from accessing the top bolt easily. Move the loom enough to access the top starter bolt. The starter bolt is I believe a 14 mm about 2 inches long. Take it out next. From underneath disconnect the 13mm nut on the lug and unclip the solinoid wire. The bottom bolt passes from pass. side towward drivers side and is easier to get to IMO. (but then I have some longer extensions for my ratchet. Not much room to move a ratchet and it may be very tight (if never removed) so be sure the socket is set well and square so as not to strip the head. I turn my wheels to the left and come from the top of the A-Arm with about 2 ft' of extension so I am sure it sets well and I'm not torqueing out of square. Once it breaks free your cool to go on under neath. This is just my way. You may get it just fine from under the engine. I also use a breaker bar first then use an air ratchet. Wobble extensions are also life savers IMO. Once unbolted it's just a matter of getting around the tie rod and down out the hole between the frame and engine. Good luck and hopefully it's not caked in grease. That always puts more frustration.
 
#21 ·
I am pulling my starter friday night, autozone is replacing it free, :clap: it has a lifetime warranty..

:cool:

it's a real nightmare doing it, last time I remember pulliung it I had to do it al by feel and also used a mirror.

if it were a regular car I could R and R it in 20 Mins. I don't hink I can remove it in less than 40 mins. Too bad I don't have a hoist, Whoever designed the 1989 Toyota Corolla should be shot. Insane! putting that starter in that totally inaccessable place..
:ugh3:

and also have to rebuild the power steering pump too, it stopped working when cold. I bought a new Power Steering rebuild kit. New Seals, Hopefully it wil lfix that problem. Looks like my Friday night and all of Saturday is shot.

To make this all really really bad, I am really sick/ permanently disabled with serioi back problems and intestinal disese, and am fullof heavy pain killer. I just don't hathe money ohave a shop do this. When I was young :preach: this work was much easier.

:headbang:
 
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