How to replace the starter on Honda Element. Be sure to work safely with jacks, ramps, and correct tools. Wear eye protection, sun block, and if around me us…
How to replace the starter on Honda Element. Be sure to work safely with jacks, ramps, and correct tools. Wear eye protection, sun block, and if around me us…
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I’m shocked! I remember when starters were simple to replace.
Great Video. I also found that rebuilding the original Honda starter is a
much better option then spending $373 on a new Honda starter or $89 for a
Chinese piece of crap. The brush assembly can be purchased on eBay for $23
($7.95) shipping. The brush assembly was identical and easy to install.
About 30 min on rebuild due to the cleaning mostly.
Why not just try to get it from the bottom ?
This video saved me $350. Thank you very much for putting this out there
and I look forward to other Element repair videos.
This is a lot more work than I thought it would be– Ive replaced lots of
starters… Im letting Honda do this one. Thanks for the great vid!
Compare: it took me half hour to replace starter on my ’79 Ford LTD.
Starter was underneath car, easy access, no obstructions. Plus, I found
used Ford starter at junkyard for $10. New Element starter from Honda is
over $300 so I got rebuilt one for “only” $150 from auto parts store. Did I
mention how relieved I was to finish this job?
The wires have a clip on one side. Use a flat head or fingernail to pop it
up. It’s really easy after you get the first one. Or you can just pinch the
plastic holding the wires off to pop the wires off of the metal completely
to get them out of the way. Hope this helps!
FYI Hollywood u should always disconnect ground side on battery. Computers
don’t like voltage spikes created when disconnecting/reconnecting positive
side to break/complete the circuit.
The fun continues…. Once I could reach the starter and get a ratchet
wrench on it, the f*cking bolts were sooo tight I couldn’t budge them. I
put on some of that bolt loosener but that didn’t help. I had to go to
Lowes and buy a 30″ pipe to give me leverage. But space was so tight (see
above) I could only get one or two clicks on the ratchet each time. Once
new starter was on, putting bolts back in was no easier. 10 hour job.
Mercifully it actually started. No words for my relief.
Thanks for posting this, I’ve also got an 03 element that someday may need
the starter replaced. I knew where it was, but didn’t know how big a pain
it would be to do the job. How long did this job take ? You started in the
daylight ! After watching this, I think I’ll let a garage do it for me.
Thanks again for posting it.
Listen Hollywood, I think that you did a fine job. I tackled my
girlfriend’s 2004 last night at 6, turned to YouTube at 8, and had it done
by 11. I wouldn’t have gotten any further without your video – so thank you
very much; truly. I did find that getting underneath for the lower manifold
bolt and the bottom starter bolt made all of the difference in the world
PRIOR to dealing with the top, but I would have been lost without your help
dealing with the intake removal to get to the starter.
Thank you so much for this informative video!!! it came in so handy and im
so glad it was here!! Cant thank you enough!!!
Try elbow grease or a two by four. Or you can RENT THE TOOLS FOR FREE AT
ANY parts store.
I did it without instructions/education. Sorry I didn’t put that part in,
but I didn’t have a problem disconnecting wires & tubes. I did explain
where I disconnected the wire harness from the metal bracket. Thank you for
the feedback. I’ll try to make it better if I do another video or I’ll
change the title of this one. Why don’t you make a video?
Also, the manual doesn’t explain that the bracket at 3:30 is underneath and
out of sight. I spent a long time trying to find this bracket that was
pictured in the manual. If only they’d added a sentence saying “underneath
the manifold.”
dyeguy0807, I was only able to unclip the 2 wiring harness from the 2 holes
in the bracket.This gave me a few inches of slack to move the manifold just
enough out of the way to reach down to the starter. I tried to figure out
how to disconnect those wires but I couldn’t see well enough to figure out
the connector type. I finally gave up; I was afraid if I did get them apart
blindly I’d never figure out how to connect them again. I was extremely
pissed off by this point.
больше никуда не додумались его засунуть по глубже пиз*****ц
Also, video doesn’t explain that you need to buy the right starter
depending on your transmission. Yes, auto and manual transmissions require
different starters! I spent 15 minutes arguing with the parts store manager
about this. He insisted it didn’t matter. I ended up walking out and going
to another store. I don’t understand why people bother posting how-to
videos that leave out important details like this. Do you want to help
people or not?
thank you soo much. extremely helpful. i really cannot thank you enough,
seriously.
I’m glad you figured out how to disconnect those wires. You don’t explain
HOW you figured it out. I could not see it well enough to figure out. If I
could see it I could’ve figured it out–how hard could it be to disconnect?
That’s what was so frustrating. But I’m not going to blindly disconnect
something I can’t see well enough to reconnect correctly. And I didn’t want
to pry or break anything. In other words, I want to know what I’m doing
BEFORE I do it. That’s where instructions come in.
I found the started at a local store for $150 and then on ebay for $75! Ha
Huh? I *did* know which starter I needed; the parts store manager did not.
I *did* go to another store and buy the right part. If I had trusted the
“expert” at the first store I would’ve been screwed. So there.
You are amazing! Thank you so much for showing me how to change the
starter. My wife’s 2006 Element died this morning after several weeks of
intermittent non-starting. This morning was final straw. Thanks to your
insight I was able to skip all the guessing. There is no way that I would
have ever thought to look for the starter under the intake manifold! I
started the job at 10:00 AM and finished putting the tools away at 3:30 PM
(including a run to auto parts store and lunch).
Folks, trust me, it’s nowhere as simple as this video. I learned the hard
way. First, at 3:20, notice how he doesn’t show how he disconnected those
wires? Without knowing how to disconnect them you can’t remove the
manifold! It’s not explained in the manual, either. And you can’t look at
them to figure it out because they’re underneath the manifold!
django772, you are absolutely correct about the bracket and the wiring
around 3:20 being difficult to disconnect. I was able to access the bolt on
the bracket more easily from underneath the vehicle, but I am still having
no luck disconnecting the wires. You mention that it is necessary to know
how, but you do not explain how you did. Any more info there?