Gary Waugh
Full Access Members
What an awkward thing to change, car has worked perfectly for 15 years, drive to Walmart and when I turned the key, it just made a clink noise but the starter motor would not turn. Cost me $185 to have it towed 5 miles home (the tow company was superb, it’s 4 wheel drive so it had to go on a lorry).got home jacked it up at the front and put ramps under the front wheels to keep it up, disconnected the battery, then removed the 3 leads from the starter motor (positive, ground, and the control wire). Removed 2 bolts but the motor would not come out, could not find/see the third bolt, went and bought a new starter so I could see where the 3rd bolt was (right on top and very awkward to get to. Used a 3/8 drive with a universal joint and short extension and finally managed to get the bolt out and remove the starter motor!! Knowing where that 3rd bolt is, made putting the new motor in much easier, fitted that 3rd bolt first, then the other 2 bolts, connected the 3 wires and reconnected the battery, took about an hour all told, to replace the starter motor, but it now starts beautifully, but I don’t see how Ford could have made a simple job like that more bloody difficult if they tried. Hopefully this starter motor will work for the next 15 years and another 250k miles..
just needed to vent my frustration, have changed many starter motors on other cars, but rarely has it been this bloody awkward to reach the mounting bolts..
just needed to vent my frustration, have changed many starter motors on other cars, but rarely has it been this bloody awkward to reach the mounting bolts..
