I have a 93 Geo Metro, last week my car wouldnt start, everything else works though. I tapped on the starter and it started up just fine, then when i got home it wouldnt start again, the next morning it started with out tappin and a few other times to.
Then one time it just wouldnt start so i hit the starter to hard and put a hole in it. I thought it was toast then, but it started the next morning, but now it wont start today.
So do i need a new starter?
Yes.
What Steve said.
Basically, the starter is weakened enough that it can’t overcome the force of friction while at rest. The ol’ hammer trick works to help jar it free, if it’s got a little bit of overnight rust or anything like that.
The starter on your car should be pretty easy to change though.
Remanufactured starter will probably run you $50-$100 at Napa or wherever.
[quote=“Eso”]http://www.autozone.com/servlet/UiBroker?ForwardPage=/az/cds/en_us/0900823d/80/1f/65/3d/0900823d801f653d.jsp
Remanufactured starter will probably run you $50-$100 at Napa or wherever.[/quote]
To install:
Connect the starter solenoid electrical connector.
Lower the vehicle and connect the negative battery cable.Removal:
Disconnect the negative battery cable.
EASY
Raise and support the vehicle safely.
SO IT DOESNT MOVE?
– Drive the front-right wheel up on the curb, so that you have more room to crawl underneath it. You could also use a jack and jackstands, or a hoist, as available, but the sidewalk is pretty much free, and everyone has one.
Label and disconnect the starter solenoid electrical connector.
LABEL ALL THE WIRES GOING IN TO IT?
– There should only be two wires. One big one (main power), and one small one (control). I wholeheartedly recommend against touching both contacts at the same time with an unprotected metal tool. Both of the electrical contacts should be held on with nuts.
Remove the mounting bolts from the starter motor, then carefully lower the assembly from the vehicle.
LOWER THE ASSEMBLY FROM THE VEHICLE? WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
–The starter motor assembly. The part that looks the same as the part in the box you got from Napa. It’ll look kind of like… well, a starter motor. They call it an assembly to make themselves sound more professional/technical. It’s one of those things shops do to justify taking your money.
To install:
Install the starter motor assembly complete with any shims that may be used between the engine block and the starter.
WHAT ARE SHIMS?
– Flat pieces of metal that adjust the spacing between two components. Don’t worry about this, yours probably won’t have any. Just in case, though, if any flat pieces of metal were sitting between the starter and the bellhousing, transfer them over to the new starter. But as I said, I highly doubt you’ll have to deal with this.
Install and tighten the starter mounting bolts to 17 ft. lbs… (23 Nm).
17FT? IS THAT HOW TIGHT THE BOLTS ARE?
**-- That is the torque specification. 17 foot pounds is about how hard you’d need to twist to open a moderately difficult jar of salsa. It’s hard to explain, but just tighten them so that they’re “tight enough”. As firm as you can get them without feeling like you’re going to break something.
**
7.
Connect the starter solenoid electrical connector.
8.
Lower the vehicle and connect the negative battery cable.
The only tools you should need are a basic ratchet and socket set. If I had to guess, I’d say that the starter electric connectors are secured with 10mm and 8mm nuts (roughly 3/8" and 5/16" if you swing that way), and the mounting bolts would likely be 13mm (1/2"). Being a Geo, the fasteners are probably metric.
Oh, and even though every car manual will always tell you to disconnect the battery before doing pretty much anything, this is one of the times when you definitely should disconnect it. Even in a small car like yours, the starter probably draws 60 amps or something.
[quote=“yngwie_69”]
Remanufactured starter will probably run you $50-$100 at Napa or wherever.
To install:
Connect the starter solenoid electrical connector.
Lower the vehicle and connect the negative battery cable.[/quote]
Ummm… before you kill urself and ur car, maybe you should take it to the auto shop.
I didn’t take any shop classes in high school, or anything like that. I was always into computers and nerdy shit like that, not cars. Once I started working at a shop though, I found that, armed with a little bit of confidence, anyone who can figure out how a wrench interacts with a bolt can really do tons of work to there own cars.
I realize this should be somewhat self explanatory but he doesnt mean your nuts. Also do what the other guy said before you kill yourself and take it to a shop.
Yeah come to NAPA and get a starter, but come see me.
why would i take it to a shop, when i could do it myself?
Ive managed to fix everything on my car besides my tire,
Its not by the book, but it still worked
Like, seriously, if you’re willing to at least try, I bet anyone here could change a starter. The wires are held on by two nuts, and the starter is held on by two bolts. That’s it.
We’ll I just heard an interesting statement that it is the distributor and not the starter… 
I am absolutely not mechanically enclined. Yet, I changed the starter on my red Ford Ranger a few years back. I did exactly what Eso said: used the curb and went underneath. Never had a problem after. This is not a difficult thing to do and if you have done other things on your vehicle, this will be very easy.
Now, Timbits’ post is casting doubt on the starter problem. Maybe you should check that as well.
I guess i thought my distributer was my starter, and theres a hole in it.
I cant find my starter, the only place i can think it is, is right beside my distributer, because there are 2 bolts and a wire going to it.
On the side of the engine block, towards the front of the car (technically on the “left” side of your transverse engine). You might not be able to see it well from under the hood, it’ll be fairly low down, and bolted to the transmission bellhousing.
Although putting a hole in your distributor is probably not a good idea.
Ok why would tapping on the part between the distributer and engine block while turning the key start the car up?
I have a feeling its not my starter now.
Doesn’t sound like it…
What does this part look like? You should take a picture of it…
If my car doesnt start, i figured out all i have to do it tap the around bolt by the distribiter cap a few times, then it will start up. And will work fine unless i dont use it for 4 or more hours, then i have to tap it again.