How to remove a starter in 1999 Toyota Corolla?

Answer 1

The biggest thing will be to locate the top bolt of the starter. The answer below is pretty good but make sure you take the battery off completely. Once the battery is off (and the air intake rubber hose is out of the way also) put your head where the battery was and shine light toward the engine, you should be able to locate the screw by looking toward the engine (screw can only be accessed with an extension, after you removed the starter leave the screw there so you won't have to try to guide it back in). The comments below were useful to me as well as the following link: http://newsgroups.derkeiler.com/pdf/Archive/Alt/alt.autos.Toyota/2005-09/msg03706.pdf

ANSWER: First raise and secure the car, ramps work too. Disconnect the negative (ground) battery cable and insure that it does not touch the battery post during maint. Disconnect the top radiator hose from the radiator and fold it back out of the way. (You will lose a couple ounces of coolant.) Each cooling fan has an electrical connection. Disconnect these and remove the five bolts holding the shroud. Remove the fan/shroud assembly. There is a brace holding the intake to the engine, secured to it is the wiring harness for the starter. Remove the brace to make electrical connections easier later. Remove the plastic elbow from the intake and air box. The top starter bolt is behind the intake accessed by the removed elbow. The bottom bolt is visible on the starter. (I also removed another bolt near the bottom of the oil filter, but it may not be necesssary.) Rock the starter free and pull it up to the top of the radiator support. Disconnect the electrical connections. Installation is the reverse of removal. I replaced the contacts in the solenoid, a common problem to Nippondenso starters. I found the fix outlined on atleast two websites.

I just got done replacing my old starter and I'd like to say that taking out the fan shroud for the radiator is DRASTICALLY important. I had almost no room to take out the starter, and wiggled it around for about an hour when I left the fan shroud on. I still could not get it out, but after removing the fan shroud, which really just took unscrewing 5 tiny bolts and wiggling it out of the engine bay, I slid it between the lower coolant hose and the radiator and it squeaked out fine. Also, the upper radiator hose also must be disconnected to get the fan shroud out. I would definitely follow the above tutorial in getting the starter out. I followed it to a TEE and worked great.

Also, one more note, I had a hard time locating the starter considering I thought it was located on the back of the engine. It's below the intake pipes on the front of the engine. The reason you have to take out the elbow on the intake is because there is one screw that goes this way <======[] (Which is the one that you take out below where the elbow for the intake is) and the other which goes this way []========> is located from the bottom of the car. Hope this helps and gives some more clarity.I would suggest that some of these steps may be unnecessary, particularly removing the coolant hose and the fan shroud. I, too, noticed the procedure outlined on other websites, but those sites and the repair manual I own both say to remove the starter from the bottom of the car (after removing plastic shields), on models where the starter is in front of the engine. You should only have to remove the air cleaner assembly to remove the top bolt. Please let me know if I'm wrong, as I'm heading out to the garage right now to sweat under my poor little Toy! handymandankankakeeil NOTE: Two different engines are available for 1999 Corolla, so this is instruction for the 12V/1.4KW starter, which is on the front of the engine. It will take 2 to 3 hours to replace the starter, provided you have the right tools. I suggest you have an assistant and these instructions by your side. You will have to unscrew 9 bolts, 1 nut, disconnect two switches, and loosen a clamp. TOOLS: Car jack; Wrenches and ratchets sizes 10mm, 13mm, 14mm; Phillips screwdriver Step 1: Disconnect the battery. Unscrew the protective plastic cover under the engine. Step 2: Remove the air-filter assembly including the air-intake elbow. There are 4 bolts and one plastic fastener to be removed in total with air-filter assembly. Unclip the air-filter box, remove the actual air-filter, and you will see three (3) bolts you need to unscrew. On the outside of the box towards the windshield, you will see the fourth bolt holding several wires to the air-filter box. Disconnect it. Towards the front of the engine, you will see a small black, plastic ring holding a battery wire. This ring can pop open, so play with it and open it so that you can move the assembly. Final step is to remove the air-intake elbow from the engine. Use the Phillips screwdriver to loosen the fastener holding the air-intake hose to the engine. Slip the hose off its terminal and move the whole air-filter assembly off to the side. The second starter bolt becomes accessible only after the air-filter assembly has been moved off to the side. Step 3: Disconnect the two starter switches Since you are now lying below the car, looking up, you will notice two switches on the starter [There is a third switch on the oil filter, which you may want to disconnect while working to prevent a potential tare]. Disconnect the small wire switch first; by pulling on it, (it slides out). The larger wire switch does NOT slide out. First, clip-off the plastic cover by pulling on it with your index finger nail. As it clicks open, nut will appear, holding the main wire to the starter. Unscrew the nut, and disconnect the wire (ALWAYS DISCONNECT BATTERY BEFORE TOUCHING THIS NUT). Step 4: Unscrew the 2 bolts and remove the starter The first starter bolt is accessible from the bottom, so right after disconnecting the switches, apply a 14mm wrench, and unscrew the bolt. The second bolt is accessible from the top of the engine, only after the air-filter assembly is off to the side. Locate the bolt by touch or by using a mirror and unscrew it. DO NOT REMOVE THIS BOLT COMPLETELY, as it is very hard to access! Remove starter motor from the BOTTOM of the car. Be patient and gentle, as there is very little room to operate. I did it last week, so it can be done! Step 4: Reinstall the removed parts (Opposite of removal)