Re: OT Neon Starter

From: Terrible Tom (SilverEightynine@aol.com)
Date: Mon Oct 09 2006 - 21:24:41 EDT


Jay & Dana wrote:
> Hi Guys
>
> Been awhile since I've posted but I read the messasges everyday.
> Does anyone know what I should expect to pay for a starter for my wife's 95
> Neon SOHC 2000 from the dealer and /or Napa etc. When you start her car the
> starter does not pull back all the way and grinds a little when running.
> I'll start it and stop it a few more times then it runs fine with no
> grinding. I'm thinking the whole starter has to be replaced as I'm not sure
> if replacing the springs inside will do the trick. Any suggestions? (Tom,
> your the one with all the Neon experience lately :-) :-)
>
> TIA
> -Jay
>
> 97 Dakota CC, 5 speed, 4x4
> with minor DML mods
>

heh - more than I ever wanted to know about neons :-P

Sounds like the starter drive is sticking. You are looking at about
$150-170 for a limited lifetime remanufactured starter. Thats going to
be about ballpark for just about all of the auto parts stores.
Personally I would go for a NAPA Rayloc LLT warranty reman. Having seen
how the competitors starters hold up VS. NAPA Rayloc, NAPA's starters
seem to be more reliable and I've seen fewer comeback issues than where
I previously worked. Regardless where you buy from I do recommend going
with the LLT warranty reman stuff. Typically - among most brands out
there, you will see them perform better than the cheap 1 year or 3 year
starters/alternators on the market. With alternators, batteries,
starters, etc.. you honestly do get what you pay for in most situations.
  The lower priced products typically use cheaper parts and may have
fewer new parts than a LLT reman. Cheaper batteries usually have
thinner cheaper constructed lead plates than batteries that are more
money, and lower prices usually bring lower cranking amperages with it.
  Anyway...

As for changing the starter on that car... the books say you can pull it
from under the bottom. I took off my intake manifold instead.
Considering how many times I have had the intake off of my 96 SOHC, its
a no brainer for me. I didn't have to fumble around and have crap fall
in my eyes laying on the ground.

The top bolt is easy to get to from above, however you may need to get
on the groudn to pull the bottom bolt. That one is tucked up under the
starter and harder to get to from above than below. The starter is also
real easy to remove with the manifold out. Basically you pull the air
intake tube, the throttle body can stay on if I remember. Unbolt the
EGR tube from the side, you'll have to unclip the throttle cable from
the bracket... then unbolt the intake runner and the starter is like
right there in front of you.

Check your black ground battery cable when you pull the starter. If I
remember, it bolts to the bottom bolt? COuld be the top bolt. Either
way, I had a problem with mine where the cable rubbed through on the
block and was causing intermittant ground problems. It was leaving me
stranded whenver it felt liek it, for a couple months... (I kept taking
the battery cables off the posts and off the power distrib box and
cleaning them thinking I had bad contact issues... and it turned out
that just tugging on the cables as I cleaned them, was enough to
re-establish a groudn when I went to restart the engine. I ended up
tearing it all out and replacing the cables. I couldnt see from above,
the cable had rubbed on the bottom. Being that yours is a year older
than mine, you may very well have the same issue soon.

I'll come over and change your starter if you want to come change my
heater core??? hehehehe

Oh, BTY, you may have the metal intake runners on that 95... in which
case you probably will have to replace the intake gaskets if you do pull
it. I have the plastic manifold and I replaced the individual O-ring
gaskets when I replaced the cyl head this summer... so all I had to do
was clean them off and clean the head and replace them.

-- 
-------------------------------------------------------------
Rocks are for skipping... I'm all about the mud
75 Honda CL360, 89 Dakota, 89 Dakota 4x4,
95 Dakota 4x4, 96 Neon, 01 Ram 4x4
http://members.aol.com/silvereightynine/
AIM & Yahoo: SilverEightynine



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