How To: Replace Starter on 00-04 Nissan Xterra 3.3L 4WD (VG33E)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 19 ก.ย. 2020
- Overview and some notes from my experience replacing the starter motor on my 2004 Nissan Xterra. This is specifically for the 3.3L engine and 4WD model.
Tools I used:
Battery Cable Connection: 12mm shallow well socket and 12mm box end wrench.
Starter Motor Mounting Bolts: 14mm shallow and deep well socket with several extensions, universal joint, or a swivel head ratchet wrench.
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10 out of 10 video. I'm a mobile mechanic and this is exactly how a mechanic video should be done, thank you.
Awesome man, thank you so much for the kind words and thanks for watching.
Took less than an hour following your steps. Thank you for posting!
Awesome man happy to help and glad you got it taken care of!
Super helpful video. Even adding the arrows pointing to bolts/nuts ect makes it loads easier. Going from VW to an Xterra, big difference, right the point of how to get it done. Keep doing more videos like this (lifts, repairs, upgrades, ect). Made my life easier doing it in the snow.
Thanks for the comment! Happy to help and let me know if you have questions.
The Best quality repair video - for so many reason. Great pictures, clear and sharp with excellent light. Clear intelligent narrative. Starter, soaked with oil, is on the ground...!! Thank you Rob!
Thanks for the nice comment and for watching! Glad to help!
2 thumbs up , great selection of words to describe location , parts discretion , functions , options , items blocking target , tool rotation option , all around you were on point . Keep up the good work there are lots of individuals out there that you will save time and money for by extending your talent and experience in your channel . Very impressed.
Thank you so much for the kind words. Always happy to help and preserve the knowledge for the Nissan community.
I made the dumbest mistake you can make. I forgot to put my oil cap back on after adding oil and uhhhhhhh yeaaaaaa replacing my starter now. Great video brother thanks for helping a fool in need.
Happy to help my dude! At least you did it to yourself. I had a dealer do that to one of my other cars...luckily the starter was OK but oil was everywhere under hood and got oil soaked on the cabin filters and air conditioning intake. That was fun to take it back the next day!
@@XterraRoblmao I would have been a tad upset. Thanks again bro and keep the vids coming.
Right on! You’re very helpful and knowledgeable with your work as you speaking step by step and pointing out other parts that needs addressing. Thanks 👌
Happy to help!
Hi Rob, I am pulling my motor on a '03 right now to replace the rear main seal, oil pan gasket and also replace head gaskets and valve seals. I decided pulling the motor is going to be easier to get at the rear main seal rather than working under the car and pulling the transfer case and transmission. Anyway, I wanted to say thank you for your videos, they have been a help and confidence boost for me and my project.
Awesome and glad to help! You should make a video of pulling the engine and doing the rear main!
Man I owe you a beer. Thanks for making this video. It took me longer to get the starter at autozone than what it took me to change it. Thanks!
Happy to help my dude!
5 thumbs up changed my starter on my 03 nissan frontier with your tips and easy peasy with the swivel ratchet and a swivel adapter for that top bolt.Tipped up the starter and it came straight out the bottom on the 4×4.Access through the fender many thanks 👍
Happy to help! Thanks for the comment!
You're the man brother! Made my life a whole lot easier watching this!
Happy to help my dude.
This video helped 100%. I just bought one and it is dripping oil on my started. I’ll check out all the spot you showed. Thank you.
Mine was an oil pan gasket. Valve cover gasket is also common. I have a video series on re sealing oil pan. Its a pain.
@@XterraRob thanks! I’ll check them out
Awesome video on changing this out it saved me a lot of money and a lot of time excellent my friend thank you.
Happy to help!
Thanks much! First try no success I'll go for the push up twist and roll out you demonstrated...I was about to use a grenade..my Xterra lives to see another day! 👍👍
You can do it!!!! Happy to help!
Great job on showing through video what should be done.
Thanks for the comment! Happy to help!
In 2016 I replaced the rear main seal on a 2001 Nissan Frontier 4x2 3.3L Naturally Aspirated manual transmission because I was convinced engine oil was leaking into the bell housing through that thing. After finally exposing the rear main seal I became partly convinced it was actually fine and what was probably leaking was the seal inside the transmission bell housing around the drive shaft, or whatever that part is that is part of the drivetrain inside the bell housing. I just put it all back together after cleaning it all up - still replaced the rear main seal, as well as the clutch while I was in there, but I still have a leak. I'm now convinced that what I thought was engine oil was actually transmission lubricant that had over time and with heat worked its way into the bell housing and then leaked visibly - I also have power steering fluid adding some nastiness to everything below it, which is quite a bit when you take into consideration all the paths fluids can follow. This is what I think has now ruined the starter that I replaced which was the point of me watching this video in the first place.
I have a 3 part video on replacing the oil pan. Thats what my problem was. Id check that out and see if that may be what you are experiencing.
Excellent video. We just dodged a bullet on my sons turned out to be loose dirty connections but I was also stumped on the way to get the starter out
Happy it was something easy!
Great video - you really took the guess work out of positioning.
Thanks for the comment...happy to help!
This would have been very handy when I did mine a few months ago, great video.
For those with manual transmissions: remove the slave cylinder from the trans, and unbolt/unclip the first three mounting points of the hard hydraulic line off the frame so you can bend the line and cylinder back enough to get clearance. The removal and reinsertion process will be exactly the same after that.
Awesome tip thanks for sharing!
Is this for removing the starter? I have a manual, hard to find videos on separating the motor from transmission for rear main seal replacment.
grate camera work
Thanks for the commemt and thanks for watching!
I did replace mine many years ago and yep you have to twist and rotate coming out and going back in.As far as the oil seepage just spray it down with brake cleaner every now and then and watch where you see it starting a few days later. That will help zero where its coming from.
If its not causing any trouble don't worry too much about it keep it cleaned off.
Mine had valve cover gaskets so I took it to the dealer and they found an intake manifold gasket leak so fixed that too. The cost was not all that bad.
Good to know. My leak was the oil pan gasket which was a pain. I managed to fix it myself but I had to take out a lot of stuff along the way. I had fried one starter motor from oil accumulation....but I admittedly disd not keep it clean.
Amazing video. I was able to get it out of the bottom easier than over the wheel. But still fantastic video
Great video. , We all have this leak I swear I have it and I believe it's just our VC gaskets leaking. Because I hardly loose not even a quarter of oil. So I haven't worried much I add in oil stabilizer to help with old gaskets etc. And that stops the leak but then hot ass summer days it comes back. Also wanted to know what size body lift ??
I have a 2 inch body lift. Thanks for the coment!
Manual transmissions read this! You can use this same procedure in this video except if you have a manual transmission the slave cylinder hydraulic line has a support mount filling in the gap he uses to remove the starter. You'll have to take out the two bolts mounting the slave cylinder and take out the bolt to remove the hydraulic line bracket. You will also need to pop the hard line of the hydraulic line out of the two plastic clips on the frame to give enough wiggle room to get the hydraulic line out of the way and create the gap he uses to remove the starter. Also if you take the front skid plate off it helps to access the electrical of the starter. Great video btw, a lot of handy info.
I have the 04 Xterra standard. I was able to pull my starter and put it back in just above the tire well. I was paranoid about removing the trans lines.
Thanks for sharing with the manual transmission Xterra community!
@@XterraRob yes sir and thanks for all you do. It's that dirty leak that is causing this. Not sure outta where.
Great video! doing mine in a Wawa parking lot this afternoon.. this definitely helped my confidence!
You can do it!!!! Not too bad. It took me a couple hours of stumbling through it the first time. Now it takes me about 30 minutes now that I know the tips and tricks here!
Nice NCSU sticker.
Go pack!
First of all, thanks for your video. I have a 2001 frontier,I couldn’t pull the starter out,because of the CV axle in the way. If I follow how you pull the starter out from your xtera,do you think it will work on mine too ? Thanks
I think so...but only way to find out is to give it a try! Otherwise remove the 6 bolts that hold the CV axle on to the front diff. It would at least allow you to move it around to create a bigger hole.
@@XterraRob thanks. You didn’t have to remove the CV axle on yours,right ?
Nope ... I did not.
@@XterraRob appreciate it thanks,hope it will work out on mine too.
I had oil in all the same places, ended up being valve cover gasket, they are rubber and when old it cracked, position yourself under starter and look up by exhaust manifold if you see oil on those bolts it drips down on starter, only took 35 min. to replace gasket on passenger side.
Thanks for sharing. I'll have to check closer.
X2
X3 Definitely valve cover gaskets that cause the starter failure
Looks like rear main or oil pan as that’s the path oil runs down and drips from.
I've got a 2002 4x4 Xterra with the same kind oil spots collecting at the bottom of the engine. Where ever oil leaks, with gravity will cause it to collect at the bottom outside of the bell housing, that cross bar and the oil pan. Looking further up the engine, can you see see if it's coming from one side or the other? That's what I found in my case, which makes sense because I've never done my valve cover gaskets.
How much oil came out with you pulled the bottom starter bolt? Was it a few drops or gushing out? Also, was there any oil pooled inside the nose of the old starter? I could see some oil and grit on your starter gear nose, but it didn't look terrible. To the extent the rear main seal leaks, the evidence is right there in that hole. From what I saw in the video clearly your main seal has leaked some, but it didn't seem that bad.
The oil on the outside of the starter and coated around that area of the engine... that seemed like the common leaking valve cover gaskets. I'm guessing you already did those gaskets since your on top of your maintenance... but that might be old residual oil from a past leak up there.
Pulling the starter bolt out, maybe a drop or two. No oil pooled. In the starter, just that grit and oil residue. Definitely more oil on the outside of the starter. I did valve cover gaskets a couple years ago when I did cam shafts. They were all dry. I think I'm going to reseal the oil pan this winter and hope for the best.
@@XterraRob Yeah, that's not that much oil from the rear main. I agree with going after the oil pan. There's a video from an autoshop in Michigan with good advice on that job. th-cam.com/video/9Tyr5HbJIOU/w-d-xo.html
I saw that and will reference that video...thanks!
Hey rob make you can make a video on the “common fixes you will need on a 1st gen exterra” maybe how often parts go bad or even how often things should be changed?
Great idea!!!! Thanks for the comment!
I had the same rear main seal leak. I literally found oil inside the starter housing
Mine was the rear of the oil pan seal. Just FYI. It can drip there too.
3:28. I saw the ground wire hanging. I just changed a motor in a 2000 nissian frontier. I was wondering if you knew where it would go. I’m stumped.
It is supposed to ground to the catalytic converter heat shielding somewhere. There is a similar one on driver side. Mine had been broken off and I never bothered to chase down exact location.
Great video! New subscriber here with a question? did they ever make a chain tensioner fix for the faulty tensioners of the second generation? Xterra? is there anyway I could take out the stock tensioners before they go bad and put on The beefier tensioners from the newer Xterra parts bin?
I'm not a 2nd gen expert...but a quick Google search and reading on theNewX forums seems to say that there was a small timing chain revision in 2009. I also resd that the issues people had were a quality control issue that the manufactueing dies were worn out and made bad timing chain links with sharp edges that ate up the guides. Either way at this point, I wouldn't do anything unless you have the bad timing chain noise. If you do, I would just get whatever Nissan parts are in the catalog for your model. Were are now 10+ years after the complaints were rolling in. The maintenance history on the vehicle will be more important than putting an assumed new and improved tensioner in. And who knows what the current part quality is being stored in a warehouse. My 2 cents.
so I spoke to a parts guy at Nissan. It's both an issue with the plastic being so par in the tensioners as well as the chain as you said. If you're stuck with that model then you need to change it every 20,000 mi! so I guess it's all about Gen 1 lol
No way I would do that much work every 20k! What X do you have, or are you in the market for one?!
@@XterraRob I'm in a market for one. I used to own a 4Runner but never really like the shape. I love square bodies from discoveries to Isuzu trooper 2's. I want something dependable however, so an Xterra with a manual fits the bill
20k Lol no way@@rev.lazarus906
Thank you
Happy to help
I seen you were leaking antifreeze when you were taking out the starter bolts? I hope its not one of them freeze plugs on the back of the block. I've seen someone in a group i'm in changing one. Maybe heater core hoses? I don't know, just pointing it out to you in case you didn't see it. thanks for the video as always. The Xterra is looking sweet as always. Love the new tires.
Good eye! I noticed that too and need to try and track it down. Ive been having some overheating issues during the summer. Ive replaced just about every coolant hose on the truck already though. I got the pressure tester tool from auto zone so hopefully in can track that down and solve some problems.
Strange finding. Heater core hose leaking at the firewall. It was dripping pretty consistently even though my truck has sat for 24 hours or more. I backed off the hose clamp and removed the hose from the fitting and it sprayed everywhere. The heater core was pressurized some how. Odd. I did bypass my coolant to the upper manifold so thought maybe the 90 degree fitting I used was too restrictive. Put the hoses back to make the Nissan gods happy and we will see if it does it again...
@@XterraRob I guess I should search your videos but thought I would ask. Why did you bypass the upper manifold coolant system? I know it is a pain to take off when removing the upper manifold, but I have done it so many times I am just used to it and the mess it makes.
Disregard, I found the video explaining it pretty quickly... I live in central Oregon, high desert, so I will keep the coolant flowing.
I have another video ... But basically ease of maintenance and eliminate 6 or so hose junction that leaks
Hi Rob - Great content, i have a 1st Gen Frontier which is similiar in many aspects. I am wondering why you are replacing the starter, was it because it didn't start or was there problems starting? I just replaced the valve cover gasket on the RHS, it probably coated my O2 sensor and destroyed it (stuck on high voltage), it also coated the starter. I cleaned it as much as possible and I still don't have any issues at all starting. Truck is at 130000 miles.
It started off with intermittent starting problems. Turn key and no engagement. Usually I could get it to eventually start by randomly cycling the key enough where it would work or start slow...until it didnt anymore and had to get it towed home. i had the warning signs...just ignored them or they were intermittent so was never aure if it was starter or battery.
@@XterraRob This is where I'm at Atm... Just had my baby towed to the mechanic. Batt is good. I also have a leak but I don't think it's on the right side. Valve covers gaskets have been done. Great video and thank you for showing me what to expect.
Oil leak? I have a series of videos on oil pan seal. Check them out. Pain in the rear. Often mistook for a valve cover gasket or a rear main seal. It's cheaper and easier to keep a spare starter around then to fix it. It's a big DIY project...or a costly repair to pay for.
@@XterraRob Just got the call... Valve cover gaskets are leaking and coated the starter. So they are replacing both... All together total: Drum roll please. Under 700.00 USD
Not fun...but having a clean and dry starter will be a huge help!
thank you
No problem! Happy to help!
so i have to remove the starer cable not just unplug the cable???
The starter on the xterra I am working on is missing the plug from the end of the wire, and I don't see the end that it should be plugged into coming off of the harness anywhere. Is it a ground wire or a power wire? Could i bypass it somehow? I have a new starter but nowhere to plug the little plug into.
The plug should be the solenoid trigger wire. When the ignition switch sends 12 volts down to that connector it pulls the solenoid in to run the motor. Thats how my 2004 was though. Do a google search for nissan xterra factory service manual. A website called niccolclub should have pdf downloads of the manual with schematics for your year.
@@XterraRob got the new starter on and put a fresh plug on the solenoid wire. Worked for about ten seconds, then the solenoid would click but starter would not turn. Took the new starter back off and tested it without being under load and it did nothing. Think I bought a new bum starter 😭
Oh no! Make sure the battery cable is making a good connection where it bolts to the stud terminal on the starter. It could be the cable is damaged to the starter or the ring terminal on end of battery cable needs to get cleaned up. Otherwise ... May be a dud starter!
I have the same problem on my Xterra please anyone can tell the answer to find which area the oil is really coming from but here’s clue when I drive I see a bit oil smoke coming from under the hood on the driver side and my oil levels don’t really drop a lot if really at all you could say I maybe have to add oil like once in between oil change but I definitely have a leak cause my started just said if don’t fix my leak bruhhh
Possible valve cover gasket...or rear main seal or the rear of the oil pan gasket. I have a 3 part video series on replacing oil pan gasket I did last year. Hard to tell unless you just crawl under there and take a good look.
Note: if your driving a MANUAL trans: you need to remove the hardline mounting plate that goes to the flexible line to the slave cylinder.
Excellent piece of information! Thanks for sharing!
@@XterraRob and thank you sir for all of the helpful information that I’ve received from your videos!! You sir, are legendary !!
Haha thanks for the comments my dude...just try to help as much as I can!
My oil pan is leaking exactly like yours.Maybe I'll fix it this winter.Doesnt look too tough to do.Can probably just swing the front dif down without having to remove it.
How do you know it's oil pan vs rear main seal? I am thinking the same thing...winter project.
Trans is either red or clear usually Oil is brown ish.Smell it or use a paper towel to see the color.If it smells like fuel or used oil its the pan.If it isnt brown and doesnt smell like used oil and or fuel then its the rear main.I bet its the rear of the pan.Mine is leaking exactly like yours.
Its definitely brown engine oil. Not transmissiom fluid. But rear main seal is the rear of the crankshaft which is on the back of the engine...so that would also leak engine oil.
I threw some (Inster name here) "Rear main seal" treatment in the last few oil changes.0 change.Rear main can leak oil but its pretty rare from what Ive researched.Also when something leaks it naturally goes to the rear of the truck.So the bottom of the bell housing,yolk,driveshaftwould be covered too.Just the cross member is wet on mine.Looks the same on yours from what I could see.
@@HHIVR4 Good points. I tried rear main seal treatment with no change either. I had also read that it is common to have the oil pan leak and have it mis-diagnosed as a rear main. I also tried a UV dye kit and the oil trail basically stopped at the seam between the oil pan and transmission...so it definitely isn't something I could trace back to a valve cover gasket (I already replaced those 2 years ago anyway and they were all dry).
my friend is doing this right now, but he cant find his ground wire, he says he brushed it out the way and now cant find it anywhere lol any ideas on what to do, get a new ground wire?
I'm not sure which ground wire you are referring to. Is there a specific time stamp in the video I show it? Just off my memory, there was the stud and nut connection for positive battery cable and then the small plastic connector that triggers the solenoid. Did you ever find what you were looking for? There was a ground wire that is self contained in the starter. Maybe he undid that one?
i honestly not sure, he replaced the starter and it still wont crank, he said that he cant find his ground wire, and thinks he lost it somewhere, i was just doing a little bit of research in hopes of finding out what wire he is talking about, but the power wire to the starter and the positive wire from the battery to starter are both connected, so doesnt leave many wires left lol I think he just lost normal chassis ground wire, not sure why he removed it in the first place.
Check out my channel page on the about me section. Have him email me and I can help get him in the right direction.
Samething in my 04 Xterra it was the valve cover gaskets
Great info thanks for sharing! Mine was oil pan seal!
Going to save my ‘01 Xterra from the Advance Auto Parts parking lot, hoping this video will do the trick 😂
You can do it! This should do the trick!
lol i just ask you to please make a video on how to replace the rear main seal ill be waiting.but if its not the rear main seal and its the valve covers change the valve covers seals cause i had the same problem on my 2003 nissan xterra and you will go through a whole bunch of starters cause the oil causes the starter to have problems i went though 5 in 2yrs before i change the valve cover seals.
I did my valve cober gaskets a couple years ago when I did my camshaft swap and they were dry at the time. I will double check that though because there was a lot of oil on the outside of the starter.
This guy has a pretty good video, but its not a manual transmission like mine. I am going to pull the motor instead and do as much of the seals and gaskets as I can while it is out. I have a bad rear main I am pretty sure, and a bad valve seal I think. Lots of oil in the number 5 cylinder and exhaust manifold.
th-cam.com/video/UhLT_LIq7DA/w-d-xo.html
What size sockets ?
I think either 14 or 17 mm.
that oil leak looked like the same oil leak i had on my 2002 nissan frontier and it was the rear main seal
Yeah they are hard to tell apart. They both look the same.
I have the same issue with the oil leak. It's a hard one to judge.
Such a nussiance! Are you going to get it fixed?
I'll most likely ride it out for the winter.... Again and start with oil pan in the spring. If that doesn't do it I'd lean toward a lower Km engine from a parts yard, or someone selling a rotten one that still runs good and swap it. Iv got a tick in the engine as it is and its over 300k Km.
Not a bad idea. I think i will tackle the oil pan over the winter and if that doesn't do it...oh well. I only have 109k miles on my truck. I'll drive it around leaking oil before I change the engine.
Engine replacements are not that bad really. I do it outside in a dirt driveway. Your lucky with the garage haha.
We're is the starter on a 2001 Nissan extterer
Same location if you have a 3.3 I vg33 engine
yea ignore that antifreeze drip
The pathfinder stated without the snout is a much better starter
Thanks for the tip and info! I love your videos and have learned a lot from you...thanks for what you do!
Hey man, just moved to NC from Texas about 4 months ago. I seen that you wheel, would you like to meet sometime? I think next month me and another x guy will be heading to uwharrie if you want to join. And me and a couple friends will be going to windrock for a Nissan event and it would be great if you could join.
Let me know about URE next month...definitely interested. I assume you are going to Went Windrock? Thatd be fun but too far to drive and too expensive for me. Not sure my X would make it there and back after all the wheeling! You can reach me by commenting on whatever my most recent video is or check the about me section of my channel page.
Xterra Rob sounds good man I’ll keep you on the loop.
Probably a valve cover gasket leak.
That's a common one. I had a bad oil pan gasket that was leaking near the rear main seal. Pain to get to.
Horrible, what are you talking about
Replacing starter on a 4WD first generation Nissan Xterra. That's about it.