in a car, where is the Starter located?

Maximus96

Diamond Member
Nov 9, 2000
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my car wouldn't start today and my buddy told me it might be my starter and told me to hit it some...now my question is where is the starter and what does it look like? will hitting it really help? how hard should i hit it? i know it'll cost a lot to fix the starter, so i'm trying to do w/o fixing...by the way, my car is a 92 infiniti g20...thanks in advance
 

morkinva

Diamond Member
Nov 16, 1999
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Don't hit it! It's snug up against the engine, it spins the flywheel or flexplate or whatever they call it nowadays. What are the symptoms, click-click-click ? or nothing at all?
 

Maximus96

Diamond Member
Nov 9, 2000
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no click, nothing at all, radio, headlight, horn, everything still works....just won't start
 

morkinva

Diamond Member
Nov 16, 1999
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I suspect the security system

edit>> or the shift interlock? Try putting it in N and starting it.

Do the dash lights come on when key is in accessory position?
 

Kadarin

Lifer
Nov 23, 2001
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<< Don't hit it! It's snug up against the engine, it spins the flywheel or flexplate or whatever they call it nowadays. What are the symptoms, click-click-click ? or nothing at all? >>



Flywheel: found on manual transmission cars
Flexplate: cars w/automatic transmission.

If the car's a manual, it could also be something wrong with the clutch interlock, a safety switch that prevents the car from being started while in gear.
 

Jerboy

Banned
Oct 27, 2001
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<< my car wouldn't start today and my buddy told me it might be my starter and told me to hit it some...now my question is where is the starter and what does it look like? will hitting it really help? how hard should i hit it? i know it'll cost a lot to fix the starter, so i'm trying to do w/o fixing...by the way, my car is a 92 infiniti g20...thanks in advance >>




Does your headlight dim repeatedly as it clicks? A few of thousand other possibilities are dirty battery connection, failing battery, security system lock-out, burnt up solenoid contact, etc..

This is not a 1979 Ford pickup truck. Getting to the starter on a 90's Japanese vehicle is more than likely extremely challenging.

 

thedarkwolf

Diamond Member
Oct 13, 1999
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Its a cylinderish looking thing and hitting it sometimes can get it to work a little longer. How hard to hit it depends on how mad you are at the time :).

I wouldn't go smacking around on it though till you know its the problem. If its an auto try starting it in neutral or atleast jiggle the shifter around a little. Cars made since sometime in the 60s have a switch that won't allow you to start the car unless its in park or neutral and sometimes they get out of adjustment.
 

aka1nas

Diamond Member
Aug 30, 2001
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I have had a lot of problem with my starter before on my car, and one thing I learned is that its very often a power issue. Check to make sure your battery cables haven't come loose(they may be making enough of a connection to run your lights, but not enough to allow the starter to kick the motor over.) This happened to me last week and has happened before a lot on my car. The starter is usually located sowmehre below the motor. Another problem that can happen with starters is that the copper contact plate inside them that transmits that initial spike of juice to start your motor can get worn. I had to replace my starter because there were pits in the copper plate(my car is an 86 celica, and has been through a lot), which prevented a good electrical connection. If this happens to be the case, it may be possible to clean some of the corrosion off the copper or just get the copper plate replaced.(I have no idea if your car is hugely different internally than mine, though its only a 6 yr difference)


Hope that helps some
 

Shockwave

Banned
Sep 16, 2000
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i had a similiar problem with an RX-7. Ends up the solenoid on the starter was flaking out, I would have to wiggle it (If I shook the car hard that would do it sometimes) Anyways, my guess is a bad solenoid somewhere, such as on the starter, or the tranny safety (Has to be in N or P to start...) Since you have headlights and radio, its not the battery anyways...Could possibly be bad ignition switch to, but i doubt that....
 

Maximus96

Diamond Member
Nov 9, 2000
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towed it to a shop today to get it fixed...costed me almost $500 to replace a starter...288 for part and another 180 for labor...oh well...
 

fastz28

Golden Member
Mar 27, 2001
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Damn, starter on my domestic truck is like $50, 4 or 5 screws to take off/put on.