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s500 GL450 GL63 Z71XL Yukon 67 396 SS velle 68 Vert Camaro 69 RSSS Vert Camaro 75 Blazer
remove and replace starter
2007 gl450 starter remove and replace.
My gl450 has almost 180000 miles and for the past 5 months, it has had very labored starting. It would crank very slow at times and I was just waiting for it not to start. Well, on Saturday, it failed to start. No cranking or the familiar clicking from the armature when the battery is low. Nothing happened. I did hear a relay from the back from inside the truck. A mechanic had heard it months ago and recommended that I replace the battery and it did in fact sound like the battery was going dead. After all, it is 10 years old on the original battery. I went to test the starter terminal and the battery lead, they both get power.
So... I commence to remove the starter and it is no easy task by any means. A starter on a lot of cars are usually only about an hour to an hour and a half job. This was about a 7 hour job on a Saturday and Sunday. With it being a weekend, I was not able to get an OEM starter or even price one for that matter. I call the local auto parts store and they have one for about $125.00 including military discount so I bought it.
I started by jacking up the truck on the passenger side and support it with a jack stand. I remove the power cable from the positive terminal under the hood. I then unbolt the two bolts holding the starter to the bell housing of the transmission. Then I get stuck. Literally. With the tight space where the starter is located, there seems to be no possible way to remove the starter. After a while, I figured that I needed to start taking things apart. I remove the strut bar and air filter housing then the bank 1 exhaust manifold and the engine mount heat shield that is pictured. I go back under the truck and it still seems to be too tight to come out. But... after a little persistence and readjusting of the starter, it was able to come out from the bottom. You really need to keep repositioning the starter until it frees itself from its cavity. Having the heat shield out of the way helped out. The heat shield is held in my a single bolt on top of the motor mount. Im unsure if you are able to remove this bolt with the exhaust manifold still attached or not but this bolt is probably about 5 inches long. You might not even need to remove the bolt but just loosen it so you can move the heat shield out of the way. Anyway, with the starter now ready to come out, I unbolt both the starter terminal and battery lead before fully removing the starter. After this, I slide it down and get it removed. I then test the starter with a fully charged spare battery and it does not actuate at all leading me to suspect that the starter is no good.
After getting the aftermarket remanufactured starter, I tried to put the solenoid heat shield from the original starter onto the reman. one. The reman. solenoid is a bit larger is circumference than the original one so I had to use a metal strap to bolt it on. I slide it under the truck on bolt on the battery and starter terminals. I then try to fit it back into where the starter belongs but again, it doesn't seem to want to fit in. After about 30 minutes of adjusting and readjusting the angle to fit it in, it finally fit into the starter hole. I put everything back together and start the truck. The starter sound strong and healthy again!
I read that this job is about $1000.00 at the dealer so if you don't want to frustration, you can take it to the dealer because I'm can almost guarantee that there will be some very frustrating times when you replace the starter.
After reading the tech guide for removing the starter, I budgeted the whole day for a monumental task removing the right cat to get to the starter. Then, I read this article and downsized the effort to a half day based on the engine mount cheat. Well, I can tell you definitively that there is no need to remove the catalytic converter OR the engine mount. There is clearance to remove the starter, albeit with narrow margins and patience, without even scratching a surface or prying of any sort. Here were my steps, all performed from under lifted truck, along with lessons learned:
Remove top and bottom bolts (11mm universal / torx socket on 12"+ wobbler extension) holding starter
Remove heat shield from starter body - just the ear bolt. (Lesson learned - see below)
Remove starter through a) push / pull towards forward of truck until gear clears its insertion in crankcase. At first, it may seem as if there's no forward clearance to clear crankcase. This is the hardest part, but It will come out with a little patience. Reach around and make sure wires are not binding and it will come full forward. Begin lowering and allowing starter body to rotate slightly allowing the solenoid to clear obstructions. Think corkscrew motion about inch counter clockwise facing front of truck, lowering the wire side about the same amount. You can feel the clearances as you do this as long as you are not trying to pry bar it. Once gears are clear from crankcase, drop gear side down and start working down and back. At this point I turned it sideways and rested on control arm so I could access wires.
Remove both wires from starter
Drop starter out full towards rear of truck - voila - done.
The above took 60 minutes for me. Most of that time was spent examining new unit and cavity for planning the exit route. Should only taken 15 minutes, which is how long it took me to re-install new unit. Yeah, the lesson learned part...
The heat shield is actually 2 parts, each having 1 bolt. On my first pass, I removed both bolts and took heat shield out while the starter was still installed. This worked, but you can't reinstall it this way, which I learned the hard way. Once you remove the rear bolt, the shield will slide on its clips towards rear of truck and come out. Reinstallation is the reverse of this. I had to remove starter again to attach clamp first, mount starter to crankshaft and then attach shield. Here's a picture for reference:
That pesky clip can't be hooked once starter is mounted. So, that's my lesson learned which I hope saves someone else some time.
thank you for the write up. it is a simple operation, but i am sure this will be helpful as the units are aging and starter failures become more common.
Thank you for this write up. Yesterday I drove home from work (90 minutes) and parked the car for an hour before I had to be at the doctor. I went out and the car tried to turn over but didn't (not the first time) so I attempted to start it again. No dice. Overnight it sat - still will not turn over. I have replaced both batteries with brand new load tested and charged batteries...still no dice. Starter is my next stop. Need to figure out how to get it into the garage and on the lift now.
Angelglo, thanks for the write-up. Before I tackle this project, what torque did you use to reattach the exhaust manifold? I got the new nuts for the manifold and noticed they are copper so I don't want to go too hard on them.
Angelglo, thanks for the write-up. Before I tackle this project, what torque did you use to reattach the exhaust manifold? I got the new nuts for the manifold and noticed they are copper so I don't want to go too hard on them.
Dunno if you ever got around to it, but removing the motor mount seems to be the easier route.
You guys have any insight? My starter is getting weak, a few sluggish turns then it gets going.
You don’t need to remove the engine mount shield to remove the starter, all is required is to raise the engine 2’’. You also need to unscrew the exhaust from the manifold but it’s not required to remove just need give yourself enough room room to get to the starter.
After reading the tech guide for removing the starter, I budgeted the whole day for a monumental task removing the right cat to get to the starter. Then, I read this article and downsized the effort to a half day based on the engine mount cheat. Well, I can tell you definitively that there is no need to remove the catalytic converter OR the engine mount. There is clearance to remove the starter, albeit with narrow margins and patience, without even scratching a surface or prying of any sort. Here were my steps, all performed from under lifted truck, along with lessons learned:
Remove top and bottom bolts (11mm universal / torx socket on 12"+ wobbler extension) holding starter
Remove heat shield from starter body - just the ear bolt. (Lesson learned - see below)
Remove starter through a) push / pull towards forward of truck until gear clears its insertion in crankcase. At first, it may seem as if there's no forward clearance to clear crankcase. This is the hardest part, but It will come out with a little patience. Reach around and make sure wires are not binding and it will come full forward. Begin lowering and allowing starter body to rotate slightly allowing the solenoid to clear obstructions. Think corkscrew motion about inch counter clockwise facing front of truck, lowering the wire side about the same amount. You can feel the clearances as you do this as long as you are not trying to pry bar it. Once gears are clear from crankcase, drop gear side down and start working down and back. At this point I turned it sideways and rested on control arm so I could access wires.
Remove both wires from starter
Drop starter out full towards rear of truck - voila - done.
The above took 60 minutes for me. Most of that time was spent examining new unit and cavity for planning the exit route. Should only taken 15 minutes, which is how long it took me to re-install new unit. Yeah, the lesson learned part...
The heat shield is actually 2 parts, each having 1 bolt. On my first pass, I removed both bolts and took heat shield out while the starter was still installed. This worked, but you can't reinstall it this way, which I learned the hard way. Once you remove the rear bolt, the shield will slide on its clips towards rear of truck and come out. Reinstallation is the reverse of this. I had to remove starter again to attach clamp first, mount starter to crankshaft and then attach shield. Here's a picture for reference:
That pesky clip can't be hooked once starter is mounted. So, that's my lesson learned which I hope saves someone else some time.
And people say you have to remove the front of the vehicle to change the starter on the 550. I'm beyond impressed.
It took me days but I was teaching my son and reassembling the heat shield on the motor mount took me forever. I swore I had made some terrible mistake. It's just really picky about its orientation.
@eric_in_sd, I feel ya! When I reinstalled it, I had a stiff drink to celebrate. That's when I realized the heat shield issue. After reinstalling and writing this, I found the darn positive terminal cap and did a 3rd installation. At least I now know I can replace the starter in record time with 3 installs under the belt. Thinking I had my celebratory drink too soon
I have done some tough installs but this one was a serious notch on the belt. Atreides, your detailed guide made this task almost effortless. Spot on and quick way to change the starter. I will add to your virtue of patience during the bolt removal process the space is super tight and gets frustrating quickly. Again take your time with the bolt removal and replacement and it's painless.
After reading the tech guide for removing the starter, I budgeted the whole day for a monumental task removing the right cat to get to the starter. Then, I read this article and downsized the effort to a half day based on the engine mount cheat. Well, I can tell you definitively that there is no need to remove the catalytic converter OR the engine mount. There is clearance to remove the starter, albeit with narrow margins and patience, without even scratching a surface or prying of any sort. Here were my steps, all performed from under lifted truck, along with lessons learned:
Remove top and bottom bolts (11mm universal / torx socket on 12"+ wobbler extension) holding starter
Remove heat shield from starter body - just the ear bolt. (Lesson learned - see below)
Remove starter through a) push / pull towards forward of truck until gear clears its insertion in crankcase. At first, it may seem as if there's no forward clearance to clear crankcase. This is the hardest part, but It will come out with a little patience. Reach around and make sure wires are not binding and it will come full forward. Begin lowering and allowing starter body to rotate slightly allowing the solenoid to clear obstructions. Think corkscrew motion about inch counter clockwise facing front of truck, lowering the wire side about the same amount. You can feel the clearances as you do this as long as you are not trying to pry bar it. Once gears are clear from crankcase, drop gear side down and start working down and back. At this point I turned it sideways and rested on control arm so I could access wires.
Remove both wires from starter
Drop starter out full towards rear of truck - voila - done.
The above took 60 minutes for me. Most of that time was spent examining new unit and cavity for planning the exit route. Should only taken 15 minutes, which is how long it took me to re-install new unit. Yeah, the lesson learned part...
The heat shield is actually 2 parts, each having 1 bolt. On my first pass, I removed both bolts and took heat shield out while the starter was still installed. This worked, but you can't reinstall it this way, which I learned the hard way. Once you remove the rear bolt, the shield will slide on its clips towards rear of truck and come out. Reinstallation is the reverse of this. I had to remove starter again to attach clamp first, mount starter to crankshaft and then attach shield. Here's a picture for reference:
That pesky clip can't be hooked once starter is mounted. So, that's my lesson learned which I hope saves someone else some time.
Cheers,
Atreides
2009 GL550
Thanks for this nice details. Impressive explanation.
Took me about 60-90min.
After reading the tech guide for removing the starter, I budgeted the whole day for a monumental task removing the right cat to get to the starter. Then, I read this article and downsized the effort to a half day based on the engine mount cheat. Well, I can tell you definitively that there is no need to remove the catalytic converter OR the engine mount. There is clearance to remove the starter, albeit with narrow margins and patience, without even scratching a surface or prying of any sort. Here were my steps, all performed from under lifted truck, along with lessons learned:
Remove top and bottom bolts (11mm universal / torx socket on 12"+ wobbler extension) holding starter
Remove heat shield from starter body - just the ear bolt. (Lesson learned - see below)
Remove starter through a) push / pull towards forward of truck until gear clears its insertion in crankcase. At first, it may seem as if there's no forward clearance to clear crankcase. This is the hardest part, but It will come out with a little patience. Reach around and make sure wires are not binding and it will come full forward. Begin lowering and allowing starter body to rotate slightly allowing the solenoid to clear obstructions. Think corkscrew motion about inch counter clockwise facing front of truck, lowering the wire side about the same amount. You can feel the clearances as you do this as long as you are not trying to pry bar it. Once gears are clear from crankcase, drop gear side down and start working down and back. At this point I turned it sideways and rested on control arm so I could access wires.
Remove both wires from starter
Drop starter out full towards rear of truck - voila - done.
The above took 60 minutes for me. Most of that time was spent examining new unit and cavity for planning the exit route. Should only taken 15 minutes, which is how long it took me to re-install new unit. Yeah, the lesson learned part...
The heat shield is actually 2 parts, each having 1 bolt. On my first pass, I removed both bolts and took heat shield out while the starter was still installed. This worked, but you can't reinstall it this way, which I learned the hard way. Once you remove the rear bolt, the shield will slide on its clips towards rear of truck and come out. Reinstallation is the reverse of this. I had to remove starter again to attach clamp first, mount starter to crankshaft and then attach shield. Here's a picture for reference:
That pesky clip can't be hooked once starter is mounted. So, that's my lesson learned which I hope saves someone else some time.
Cheers,
Atreides
2009 GL550
HI Atreides, how do you test or figure out a bad starter ? Does it show any error code or message? My gl550 2010 power and everything is ON and working, but can't start, don't even hear any sound when try to start with both the key and keyless button.
Thanks
s500 GL450 GL63 Z71XL Yukon 67 396 SS velle 68 Vert Camaro 69 RSSS Vert Camaro 75 Blazer
no codes for a bad starter. If the battery is good, there is a good possibility it is your starter, that of course barring that there was no other possible issues with your car like if it has been flooded. Buyt, just because you have power and everything seems to be working doesn't necessarily mean your battery is good.
Thanks for this nice details. Impressive explanation.
Took me about 60-90min.
First of all, Thank you y’all for creating this post and updating all your work done here. Make my job so much easier and save so much time...
I just want to update what I did with my GL550 2010.
1/Using Voltmeter tested and got 12V power at the Solenoid when ignition at starting position.
2/Removed starter by following atreides‘ step by step above. A lot of room and easier than when reading the post. Thank you again.
3/Checked starter brush. No more brushes
4/ bought one @autozone and put in.
Starting easy and strong.
Tried to search online for new starter brushes part#
(001-151-64-14) but has to be ordered. 3-5days.
5/ my Opinions:
i think MB starters’ life is around 5-6yrs or 60k-80k miles.( normal driving 12-15k miles /yr)
if your starter is around that age, pick a nice weekend and replace new starter or new brush to avoid breaking down middle of the trip.
s500 GL450 GL63 Z71XL Yukon 67 396 SS velle 68 Vert Camaro 69 RSSS Vert Camaro 75 Blazer
whoa, no brushes is a problem. Anyway, when I replaced my starter, it had almost 180k miles on it. From all my experiences with cars, I personally think that 60-80K miles is odd and seems to be a bit low for a starter.
whoa, no brushes is a problem. Anyway, when I replaced my starter, it had almost 180k miles on it. From all my experiences with cars, I personally think that 60-80K miles is odd and seems to be a bit low for a starter.
Are you the only owner? If not, you can request for a service record at MB dealer. My wife 2007 gl450 starter was replaced at 78k miles and my gl550 2010 starter was replaced once at 50k and another at ~130k miles.
I don’t think any MBstarters can last up to 180k miles except driving cross country 30k miles/yr
Are you the only owner? If not, you can request for a service record at MB dealer. My wife 2007 gl450 starter was replaced at 78k miles and my gl550 2010 starter was replaced once at 50k and another at ~130k miles.
I don’t think any MBstarters can last up to 180k miles except driving cross country 30k miles/yr
I replaced mine with 199K. It started cranking slow at times, specially when engine was cold. Initially I was told that problem could be the battery, but I had the starter check for torque and found it was out of specs. BTW, the starter is made by Bosch for Mercedes.
s500 GL450 GL63 Z71XL Yukon 67 396 SS velle 68 Vert Camaro 69 RSSS Vert Camaro 75 Blazer
As to what GLguy said, it really depends on the times you start and stop but yours really did seem low for having no brushes at all. Athatnd to have your other benz changed at 50k, I think that's extremely low. That means you are changing your starter every 5th oil change, depending on when you change your oil.
I've had my gl450 since 20k miles. No need to request for service info especially since I do all the work myself and have been doing it on all my cars for 40 years so I consider myself more than just the average garage mechanic.
I dont drive long distances and the gl450 is a daily driver. For our GL63, I always keep it on sport mode so the eco start isn't constantly stopping and starting. GL63 shouldnt even have this feature.
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