Just for informational purposes, you can remove that starter a lot easier just by removing the oil filter and there’s a little sensor right next to the oil filter housing. If you pull that off, then you can pull the starter right up through the top without having to take any of the exhaust off or catalytic converter anything
I took off the exhaust and the oil filter is in the way. I could not manage to get the starter out, but I noticed that it is hitting the oil filter, so I wanted to see if anyone else commented about the oil filter. I have a 2014.
This was a very good video - I just used it to replace the starter on my wife's 2013 Acadia Denali. One thing the video does not show is that on my wife's car I had to remove the knock sensor because I could only pull the starter back about 1/2" before hitting the sensor. I'm not sure if he had to remove this on this video or not since he doesn't show it. The sensor is bolted directly into the engine block with a 13 mm bolt. If you feel around you can get a socket on that bolt and remove it. Some folks suggest removing the oil filter and getting at the bolt from the top, but for me it was easier to remove it from below.
I replaced mine this morning I removed the motor Mount bracket and yes I also had to remove the knock sensor so I could allow me to get out the starter, it took me around 1 hour to complete the job.
Really appreciate the video and the detailed explanation. Just replaced the starter on my 2011 Acadia. A bit frustrating getting the new one to go in but somehow my son got it in there after we both tried several times. It's starting up now so it was definitely a starter that was going bad. Thanks!!!
Awesome video man!!!! Just changed this in a 2013 enclave and ran into the same issue as some people with the starter not pulling out all the way and I found a way around it!!!! If they look up in the area where the starter is getting stuck on something when they are pulling it out there's a white connector plugged in right behind the starter. There's a little hole you can reach up and just unplug this and then the starter comes out!!! No need to remove the knock sensor like some people are saying
Thank you!! You're a life saver! That connector was easy to disconnect once I knew it was there. They tucked everything in there so tightly, it was nearly impossible to see anything before pulling the starter out. It's funny that the most watched section of the video is the guy "magically" getting the starter out....Does he mention removing a connector or sensor or anything? No! He just says, "Ok, so we got it loose, pushed it back..." . Thankfully you were nice enough to enlighten the rest of us on how Houdini got the thing loose in between recordings.
i did find it very helpful, especially since i have a starter that’s going out on my 08 vue with the 3.6 engine. i had a new cat and pipe put on almost two years ago, but i don’t wanna break any bolts so i’m debating on weather or not to do it myself..... at any rate i appreciate your sharing, the video was very informative.
Out of All the cars I've worked on and had I've never worked on a car as much as I have this gmc Acadia. I wouldn't own another gmc if you gave it to me
Engineers should have to do 2 yrs minimum at a Tech school turning wrenches b4 they are allowed to design. Great video and help for this removal and installation process.
They do this so you have to take it to a macanic and every year a vehicle comes out it gets worse and worse, can't even change the battery with out taking it to a macanic, I miss the god ol days when working on a car was a lot simpler...😢
You saved my a$$. I wrote down all the steps you went through and this swap was a breeze. My starter was intermittently working for last few weeks but finally gave out. It’s not in a fun spot but with this video I was able to have it done and all replaced in about 45 mins. Have a great night and rest of the holiday season, much appreciation.
I really appreciate comments like this , I have a lot of great viewers on this channel. Happy holidays as well , and yes Seether is one of my favorite bands .
Wow the video was very helpful but I got to tell ya I have changed a many starters but this one was one the hardest ever to change well its over now cranks good
Thank you so much for your answer. the reason is that transmision oil drips between the gearbox and the engine where they connect.I dont know the reason yet. ..
If its transmission fluid then its due to the torque converter seal. If it is bad it may be worth replacing. I suppose if I had it out replacing that I would go ahead with the filter. There is a seal that needs replaced where the transmission halves go together. It has locating pegs that stick for the case and some of the gear components on the bell housing portion as well. Thanks again
Merry Chrismas you happy new year.I am from Armenia, I bought a 2008 GMC Acadia SLT1 a year ago,and i want to change the transmission oil, is it worth changing the filter along with the oil.?I dont know wheter the former owner changed it or not....please tell me if you can...Thanks.
It would not be worth it , because the transmission would need removed and split to gain access to the filter. This is not an easy job. A lot of these transmissions are designed like this and the fluid really needs changed and kept clean. I am not saying people do not take it and have it changed but normally those are changed when rebuilding or addressing another issue. When you change the fluid plan on it taking around 7 qt. I usually drain it pour it up and replace the amount I drained and check from there. Hope this is helpful , and Merry Christmas and Happy New Years to you as well. Thank you for the feedback and thanks for watching.
@@s33therfan no problem! Trying to get my starter replaced and your video is by far the best out there. I just wish I had all the specialist tools to make it easier to rwch
I have a 2010 GMC Acadia Slt that was driving two weeks ago right after I got some gas it started spitting and popping and cut off and would not crank back up.but I was getting a code in it was saying that the number 6 was misfirings and now I have it in the shop getting worked on and before that stuff I was having trouble of it not wanting to start and I had it in one shop and they replaced the battery twice and I was still having trouble of it not wanting to start but one day it would start fine and the next day it would not crank at all but it would turn over like it wanted to crank please give me some advice on this vehicle
If it is number 6 you are in luck because its one of the front cylinders. Ordered 2 . 4 . 6. I would start there . Most of the time its going to be a coil pack. Swap the coil pack for say # 4 , if the code pulls up #4 missfire then you may have your answer. It could be other issues but thats the place to start. Hope this helps. Thanks for watching.
Thanks man, this was pretty confusing at first, I tried removing the engine mount and that didn’t work , I know there’s more than 4 bolts holding it in, the upper one I can’t get to
What exact thread size bolt and nut for the broken ones you replaced on the catalytic converter at the bottom you used the 13m on? I’m having same exact problem
Basically any bolt that will fit through the hole will work just fine , regardless of thread. I can't recall the exact size , I just keep a big bucket of bolts for such occasions. I want to say around an M8 bolt. Thanks for watching.
Just wondering before I begin on the starter on my 2008 Acadia. I’ve replaced the alternator and the battery but I’ve still got a no start no click. Do you think it could be the starter? Thanks! If I do replace it this video has been very helpful
I have purchased ramps years ago and have yet to use it once , question , do ramps have to be against something so they dont move as you drive up on it or do they not move
Not at all. The only time I have had them move is when my tires have spun. Most of these ramps also come with these rubber feet that keeps them from moving even if they try. Thanks for the feedback.
Helpful video, but how did you maneuver the starter out of its place? I'm about to remove the engine mount because I have not been able to get it to move more than half an inch.
Could be the knock sensor oriented right in the way on yours. Take a 13mm ( may be tight) and loosen it , not remove and it should swing out of the way. Thanks for watching.
The cat at the top where it mounts uses a ring style gasket. You can get them at any part store. Just dig the old one off and palve the new one. It will be loose at first until you tighten it up then it will not leak. Thanks for watching.
I have heard this comment several times and I am thinking it has to do with the knock sensor orientation. Basically with the 13mm bolt loose that holds the sensor , you can orient it facing in any direction. My starter wiggled out fine however while fixing the knock sensor connector I oriented the sensor to face towards the front of the engine/serpentine belt. This will make starter removal easier in the future. Great question and thank you for watching.
Hello there. I just changed mine and for some reason it still won’t crank, I did notice that before I change the starter it was blowing my ignition fuse. So after I replaced the starter and try to turn the car on it still wouldn’t turn on. So I checked the ignition fuse again and it keeps blowing them. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.
Verify the engine turns over with a extended ratchet. I would inspect the wire from starter to battery . Inspect the fuse box . By this I mean I would unbolt it all remove the connectors inspect them for water damage etc. From there I would think there was an issue at the ignition/column area. That would be my method of attacking it for starters. ( no pun intended) Hope this can help , thank you for the feedback.
The dipstick isn't necessary , however several others have mentioned they found loosening the knock sensor to be helpful. Once loosened it can be reoriented etc. Thanks for watching.
Knock sensor won’t come off even tho I got the 13mm bolt out, any idea why? It won’t budge there’s nothing holding it on? My starter needs to move another 1/4 inch but can’t bc whoever put the knock sensor on had it facing about 3 o’clock so it’s in the way
It's probably corroded on there you will have to " knock " it loose. No pun intended. Maybe try tapping it with an extension or something , and hammer gently. Hope this helps.
If it takes longer than before the starter went out , then that is strange. The starter either works or does not . There could be some other issue causing a long crank time. I would check for codes if any. Thanks for the feedback.
Nevermind- tkennedy1020 explained how to get it out in his comments of the video. "If they look up in the area where the starter is getting stuck on something when they are pulling it out there's a white connector plugged in right behind the starter. There's a little hole you can reach up and just unplug this and then the starter comes out!!! No need to remove the knock sensor like some people are saying". His method works like a dream!
I took the motor mount off that way you don't have to deal with Rusty bolts I live up in the north where everything is Rusty two bolts on the mount itself top and bottom mine was bad anyhow had to replace it and the bracket has four bolts and you can remove the oil filter to make it a little bit easier about 45 minutes total
I've watched about six videos of people replacing the starter and I can't believe that they designed this car that's stupid. Between the starter the water pump and the transmission this was just a idiotic attempt I won't even call it engineering but I will say that I'm not buying one of these because I do my own work on cars and there is no way in hell that I'm going to go through this much trouble to replace any of those components.
Since when are GM and Chevy vehicles like working on a damn import 🙄wutta a pain in the ass job. Mine comes wednesday and go figure here in PA its getting cold again yay me😡
I swear GM took every garbage design that their engineers came up with, and put them into the Acadia. They're nice vehicles to drive and ride in, but if you perform diy repairs, they suuuuuuck.
2008 Enclave (same engine) here and yes they suck to work on! Also work on two Honda Odyssey vans and it’s night and day how intuitive and better designed the Odysseys are. I’m convinced it’s a ploy by GM to drive up profits for the dealers by making repairs difficult and time consuming.
I wish all DYI videos were this detailed. This video nailed it for my 2009 GMC Acadia. Thank you
Thank you for the terrific feedback , it is greatly appreciated.
I’m watching this for my 2009 gmc Acadia as well lmao
Just for informational purposes, you can remove that starter a lot easier just by removing the oil filter and there’s a little sensor right next to the oil filter housing. If you pull that off, then you can pull the starter right up through the top without having to take any of the exhaust off or catalytic converter anything
Wish I would’ve seen this comment before taking the exhaust off. I had to take off that sensor (knock sensor) to pull the starter out.
I took off the exhaust and the oil filter is in the way. I could not manage to get the starter out, but I noticed that it is hitting the oil filter, so I wanted to see if anyone else commented about the oil filter. I have a 2014.
This was a very good video - I just used it to replace the starter on my wife's 2013 Acadia Denali. One thing the video does not show is that on my wife's car I had to remove the knock sensor because I could only pull the starter back about 1/2" before hitting the sensor. I'm not sure if he had to remove this on this video or not since he doesn't show it. The sensor is bolted directly into the engine block with a 13 mm bolt. If you feel around you can get a socket on that bolt and remove it. Some folks suggest removing the oil filter and getting at the bolt from the top, but for me it was easier to remove it from below.
Thank you for this tip, I spent close to 2hrs yesterday and I couldn’t get it out because of that sensor I’m going to try this. Thanks again.
I replaced mine this morning I removed the motor Mount bracket and yes I also had to remove the knock sensor so I could allow me to get out the starter, it took me around 1 hour to complete the job.
Really appreciate the video and the detailed explanation. Just replaced the starter on my 2011 Acadia. A bit frustrating getting the new one to go in but somehow my son got it in there after we both tried several times. It's starting up now so it was definitely a starter that was going bad. Thanks!!!
Thank you for the feedback.
Awesome video man!!!! Just changed this in a 2013 enclave and ran into the same issue as some people with the starter not pulling out all the way and I found a way around it!!!! If they look up in the area where the starter is getting stuck on something when they are pulling it out there's a white connector plugged in right behind the starter. There's a little hole you can reach up and just unplug this and then the starter comes out!!! No need to remove the knock sensor like some people are saying
Thank you for the great feedback and sharing the helpful tip , it is much appreciated.
Thank you!! You're a life saver! That connector was easy to disconnect once I knew it was there. They tucked everything in there so tightly, it was nearly impossible to see anything before pulling the starter out. It's funny that the most watched section of the video is the guy "magically" getting the starter out....Does he mention removing a connector or sensor or anything? No! He just says, "Ok, so we got it loose, pushed it back..." . Thankfully you were nice enough to enlighten the rest of us on how Houdini got the thing loose in between recordings.
Thanks for the little details like socket sizes and extension setups. Very helpful. Thx.
Thank you for the great feedback and thanks for watching.
Thanks a lot for the advice.Leaking red transmission oil will have to be disassembled.Thank you again,God bless you. ..
Thanks that was really helpful
You make some of the steps look easier than they are
I'm probably just missing practice
Ty
Thank you for watching.
Great video just did a 2008 gmc acadia starter just from this video alone
Thank you for the great feedback , much appreciated.
i did find it very helpful, especially since i have a starter that’s going out on my 08 vue with the 3.6 engine. i had a new cat and pipe put on almost two years ago, but i don’t wanna break any bolts so i’m debating on weather or not to do it myself..... at any rate i appreciate your sharing, the video was very informative.
Thank you for the great feedback, much appreciated.
Out of All the cars I've worked on and had I've never worked on a car as much as I have this gmc Acadia. I wouldn't own another gmc if you gave it to me
Thank you sir! Used this video to replace mine today and it went great!!!
Thank you very much for the great feedback .
Thank you great video awesome job and didn't look that hard and you just saved me $600!!!!!
Thank you for the great feedback it is much appreciated.
Engineers should have to do 2 yrs minimum at a Tech school turning wrenches b4 they are allowed to design.
Great video and help for this removal and installation process.
Best comment . Thank you for watching.
They do this so you have to take it to a macanic and every year a vehicle comes out it gets worse and worse, can't even change the battery with out taking it to a macanic, I miss the god ol days when working on a car was a lot simpler...😢
Nice and clearly video, thank you for taking your time and work with one hand and share it...👍👍
Thank you for the great feedback , it is much appreciated.
That was a very helpful video I need to do my starter now so I hope it goes like you did 👍
You just helped me save some money and I learned how to change my starter thank you
Thank you very much for the great feedback.
Thank you for this step by step tutorial. Every other video I tried watching was no where near this one. Acadias are no fun to work on.
Thank you very much.
You saved my a$$. I wrote down all the steps you went through and this swap was a breeze. My starter was intermittently working for last few weeks but finally gave out. It’s not in a fun spot but with this video I was able to have it done and all replaced in about 45 mins. Have a great night and rest of the holiday season, much appreciation.
Also, Seether is badass! (Guessing that’s what you meant with your username) 🤘🏻
I really appreciate comments like this , I have a lot of great viewers on this channel. Happy holidays as well , and yes Seether is one of my favorite bands .
Wow the video was very helpful but I got to tell ya I have changed a many starters but this one was one the hardest ever to change well its over now cranks good
Thank you for the feedback and thanks for watching.
nothing easy to work on on these POS acadias... i'd never buy another.
Very well informed thanks to you.
Thank you for watching , it is much appreciated.
Very well mechanics video. Thank you.
I'd use some quick steel for the connection. Comes off somewhat easy by hand but not really anything else
Thank you
Being a mechanic teaches you patience and about a thousand cuss words
Thank you for the feedback , and thanks for watching.
If you do not have a swivel, you can take off the top plastic to get to the top exhaust bolts.
good job and effort explaining
Thank you very much for watching.
I just want to say amazing video. My starter is going out i was going to take it in to mechanic but naw i got this! Thanks man!!!!
Great to hear! Thank you.
I'm serious my man great video man. Ur trully a blessing.
Great job! Even harder when trying to video it.
Thank you so much for your answer. the reason is that transmision oil drips between the gearbox and the engine where they connect.I dont know the reason yet. ..
If its transmission fluid then its due to the torque converter seal. If it is bad it may be worth replacing. I suppose if I had it out replacing that I would go ahead with the filter. There is a seal that needs replaced where the transmission halves go together. It has locating pegs that stick for the case and some of the gear components on the bell housing portion as well. Thanks again
I learnt a lot thxs
Thank you very much for the great feedback , I really appreciate it.
This was top notch!
Thank you very much for the amazing feedback.
Fantastic video!! Thank You!!
You are welcome! Thank you for the feedback.
I really liked your video! Nice and detailed, thank you for sharing..
Thank you for the kind words , it is much appreciated.
How did you remove that stud on the exhaust flange ?
very nice man thank you
Thank you for watching.
Merry Chrismas you happy new year.I am from Armenia, I bought a 2008 GMC Acadia SLT1 a year ago,and i want to change the transmission oil, is it worth changing the filter along with the oil.?I dont know wheter the former owner changed it or not....please tell me if you can...Thanks.
It would not be worth it , because the transmission would need removed and split to gain access to the filter. This is not an easy job. A lot of these transmissions are designed like this and the fluid really needs changed and kept clean. I am not saying people do not take it and have it changed but normally those are changed when rebuilding or addressing another issue. When you change the fluid plan on it taking around 7 qt. I usually drain it pour it up and replace the amount I drained and check from there. Hope this is helpful , and Merry Christmas and Happy New Years to you as well. Thank you for the feedback and thanks for watching.
How many times have you replaced the starter ?What brand have you used ? How long did they last ?
What zize is the stud bolt or where can I get one? Mine broke
Thank you for this video
Thank you for the feedback.
@@s33therfan no problem! Trying to get my starter replaced and your video is by far the best out there. I just wish I had all the specialist tools to make it easier to rwch
I have a 2010 GMC Acadia Slt that was driving two weeks ago right after I got some gas it started spitting and popping and cut off and would not crank back up.but I was getting a code in it was saying that the number 6 was misfirings and now I have it in the shop getting worked on and before that stuff I was having trouble of it not wanting to start and I had it in one shop and they replaced the battery twice and I was still having trouble of it not wanting to start but one day it would start fine and the next day it would not crank at all but it would turn over like it wanted to crank please give me some advice on this vehicle
If it is number 6 you are in luck because its one of the front cylinders. Ordered 2 . 4 . 6. I would start there . Most of the time its going to be a coil pack. Swap the coil pack for say # 4 , if the code pulls up #4 missfire then you may have your answer. It could be other issues but thats the place to start. Hope this helps. Thanks for watching.
Thanks man, this was pretty confusing at first, I tried removing the engine mount and that didn’t work , I know there’s more than 4 bolts holding it in, the upper one I can’t get to
Thanks for watching.
What exact thread size bolt and nut for the broken ones you replaced on the catalytic converter at the bottom you used the 13m on? I’m having same exact problem
Basically any bolt that will fit through the hole will work just fine , regardless of thread. I can't recall the exact size , I just keep a big bucket of bolts for such occasions. I want to say around an M8 bolt. Thanks for watching.
Just wondering before I begin on the starter on my 2008 Acadia. I’ve replaced the alternator and the battery but I’ve still got a no start no click. Do you think it could be the starter? Thanks! If I do replace it this video has been very helpful
You might just remove the starter and bench test it , or you can take to autozone and have it checked to be sure. Thanks for watching.
is this Lieutenant Dangle? any way great job. I'm pretty sure this is LT Dangle.
I have purchased ramps years ago and have yet to use it once , question , do ramps have to be against something so they dont move as you drive up on it or do they not move
Not at all. The only time I have had them move is when my tires have spun. Most of these ramps also come with these rubber feet that keeps them from moving even if they try. Thanks for the feedback.
Helpful video, but how did you maneuver the starter out of its place? I'm about to remove the engine mount because I have not been able to get it to move more than half an inch.
Or with the knock sensor in the way. Looks to me that the sensor is directly in front of the starter.
Could be the knock sensor oriented right in the way on yours. Take a 13mm ( may be tight) and loosen it , not remove and it should swing out of the way. Thanks for watching.
@@nucularmechanic9623 having the same issue
Thanks man 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
Any time! Glad this was helpful.
Did it have a gasket on top where the 3 bolts are? Because when I put mine back together it started smoking from there
The cat at the top where it mounts uses a ring style gasket. You can get them at any part store. Just dig the old one off and palve the new one. It will be loose at first until you tighten it up then it will not leak. Thanks for watching.
Did you use pb blaster? I soaked all the bolts on mine and that stuff will burn off for a couple days.
many thanks.
Most welcome! Thank you for watching.
Thanks, man. My wife's Acadia wouldnt start fir her this morning. She said she can hear it clicking. Pretty sure it's a starter.
Hope all goes smoothly , thank you for watching.
@@s33therfan Yes sir.
How did you get around the sensor to install new starter seems impossible any tips
I have heard this comment several times and I am thinking it has to do with the knock sensor orientation. Basically with the 13mm bolt loose that holds the sensor , you can orient it facing in any direction. My starter wiggled out fine however while fixing the knock sensor connector I oriented the sensor to face towards the front of the engine/serpentine belt. This will make starter removal easier in the future. Great question and thank you for watching.
Hello there. I just changed mine and for some reason it still won’t crank, I did notice that before I change the starter it was blowing my ignition fuse. So after I replaced the starter and try to turn the car on it still wouldn’t turn on. So I checked the ignition fuse again and it keeps blowing them. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.
Verify the engine turns over with a extended ratchet. I would inspect the wire from starter to battery . Inspect the fuse box . By this I mean I would unbolt it all remove the connectors inspect them for water damage etc. From there I would think there was an issue at the ignition/column area. That would be my method of attacking it for starters. ( no pun intended) Hope this can help , thank you for the feedback.
Did you remove the dipstick? Another vid shows taking that off and knock sensor.
The dipstick isn't necessary , however several others have mentioned they found loosening the knock sensor to be helpful. Once loosened it can be reoriented etc. Thanks for watching.
What year is this. Mine dont look the same
This is a 2007. Thanks for watching.
Excelente
Thank you
Knock sensor won’t come off even tho I got the 13mm bolt out, any idea why? It won’t budge there’s nothing holding it on? My starter needs to move another 1/4 inch but can’t bc whoever put the knock sensor on had it facing about 3 o’clock so it’s in the way
It's probably corroded on there you will have to " knock " it loose. No pun intended. Maybe try tapping it with an extension or something , and hammer gently. Hope this helps.
@@s33therfan been trying to remove the sensor for 3 hours 😭😭😂, you just can’t get anything in there to tap it with
If the crank takes long before it starts with the new starter what could that mean?
If it takes longer than before the starter went out , then that is strange. The starter either works or does not . There could be some other issue causing a long crank time. I would check for codes if any. Thanks for the feedback.
@@s33therfan okay 👍
@@user-hv9bx6yp4g it's the vvt solinoid
@@jameswearen880mines doing that right now and now the car won’t start at all
replace the starter or just the sensor
How many hours?
Maybe 2 hours tops. Thanks for the feedback.
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Thank you for watching.
16:02- "Ok, so we got it loose, pushed it back..." ..........How in the world did you get it to move far enough to come out??
Nevermind- tkennedy1020 explained how to get it out in his comments of the video. "If they look up in the area where the starter is getting stuck on something when they are pulling it out there's a white connector plugged in right behind the starter. There's a little hole you can reach up and just unplug this and then the starter comes out!!! No need to remove the knock sensor like some people are saying". His method works like a dream!
Yes use a needle nose grab it and pull it out
They dont give much room for someone with big hands. Its all about be compact these days.
That is the truth. A simple task becomes a huge ordeal even with accessing a sensor on these. Thank you for the feedback and thanks for watching.
Its all fun and games until you get a rusty bolt.
I took the motor mount off that way you don't have to deal with Rusty bolts I live up in the north where everything is Rusty two bolts on the mount itself top and bottom mine was bad anyhow had to replace it and the bracket has four bolts and you can remove the oil filter to make it a little bit easier about 45 minutes total
I've watched about six videos of people replacing the starter and I can't believe that they designed this car that's stupid. Between the starter the water pump and the transmission this was just a idiotic attempt I won't even call it engineering but I will say that I'm not buying one of these because I do my own work on cars and there is no way in hell that I'm going to go through this much trouble to replace any of those components.
Since when are GM and Chevy vehicles like working on a damn import 🙄wutta a pain in the ass job. Mine comes wednesday and go figure here in PA its getting cold again yay me😡
Thats for sure , getting more complicated by the minute. Thanks for the feedback.
I swear GM took every garbage design that their engineers came up with, and put them into the Acadia. They're nice vehicles to drive and ride in, but if you perform diy repairs, they suuuuuuck.
2008 Enclave (same engine) here and yes they suck to work on! Also work on two Honda Odyssey vans and it’s night and day how intuitive and better designed the Odysseys are. I’m convinced it’s a ploy by GM to drive up profits for the dealers by making repairs difficult and time consuming.
I hate that suv