How to Replace the Starter for a Toyota Matrix and the Cost of Labor

Replacing the starter in your Toyota Matrix is not a complicated undertaking, and doing it yourself can save you the high costs of labor typically associated with auto repair. Otherwise, you may find yourself paying several hundred dollars for simple repairs, and that's before adding in the cost of replacement parts. Even someone with no prior automotive experience can complete this repair in about an hour and save a lot of money in the process.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

things you'll need:

• Automobile jack
• Wheel chocks
• Jack stand
• Marker
• Masking tape
• Metric socket set

Suggest Edits

1. • 1

     Open the engine compartment and disconnect the negative terminal on your battery by loosening the terminal nut with a wrench. Place wheel chocks behind the rear wheels of the car.

   • 2

     Raise the car with an automobile jack on the driver's side and place a jack stand under it near the jacking point. Raise the jack stand up to the frame of the vehicle.

   • 3

     Unscrew the retaining bolts for the splash guard with a wrench then remove the splash guard from under the vehicle.

   • 4

     Label the wires to the starter with masking tape and a marker. The starter looks like a round canister with electrical wires going into it. Note the proper location of each wire. Remove the wires by loosening their nuts with the wrench.

   • 5

     Remove the mounting bolts from the starter with a ratchet and socket. Pull the starter away from the engine and put the new one in its place. Tighten the mounting bolts with the socket and ratchet.

   • 6

     Connect the electrical wires to the starter and tighten the nuts with the wrench. Be sure to place each wire in its proper location according to the labels that you made. Reinstall the splash guard under the car and re-tighten the retaining bolts with the wrench. Remove the jack stand from under the vehicle and lower the car to the ground with the jack. Reconnect the battery terminal and re-tighten the nut with the wrench.

Tips & Warnings

• Wear safety goggles, when working under your vehicle, to prevent eye injuries from falling dirt and foreign objects.

• Always disconnect the battery, as instructed, to prevent electrical shock.