starter replacement in remote location

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XWrench3

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So my son borrowed my Jeep, and now it will not start. He is as mechanical as The Pope, so I am going to have to pack up a bunch of tools, and make a 300 mile round trip in order to fix it. Can you guys tell me what tools it takes to change the starter motor on this please? its a 2005, 3.7l, automatic trans. also, do i get to remove anything else in order to remove and replace the starter motor? Like engine mounts, air conditioning pumps, power steering pump, etc.?
 

Jeremy-WI

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If it is a 4x4, it really helps to remove the front driveshaft between the transfer case and front axle. Remove all the bolts at the front differential and transfer case, then get the transfer case end out first, move that end so that you have room to get the front part out. My 2006 had bolts in that driveshaft that had 10mm head and some put up a fight to remove and the bolts on the front and back were different lengths. I don't remember too much about replacing the starter but it wasn't much fun either. When reinstalling the driveshaft, get the rear part in the area of the transfer case and put the front in first and get some bolts in it then get the rear in place to bolt it to the transfer case
 

XWrench3

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wow, big job! thankfully, I wont have to do it at this point, anyway. he must have left a light(s) on somewhere, maybe didn't get the door shut, ??? it turns out that he completely drained the battery. he had tried jump starting it which didn't work. but after talking with him, and asking lots of questions, I had him hook the cables up again to his girlfriends car and let her car charge the battery for a full 10 minutes. and with her car still running, he tried it again, and thankfully it started. the next thing is if the battery was damaged being drawn down completely dead. i guess we will find out this morning. Thank both of you guys for such detailed instructions and tool list. I am actually going to print them and save them. honestly, I hope to never need them. I'm really getting to old, and my body is damaged too much to do big jobs like this anymore. but on a small fixed income, I don't have much of a choice. if i ever do have to do this job, hopefully it is at home, where I have all of my tools, and at a warmer time of the year. instead of in a parking lot at 26 degrees outside! I know that without your instructions, i would have not taken all of the tools i would have needed. and would have struggled to figure out how to exactly remove it. SERIOUSLY, THANKS!!!
 

Luke

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You’re preachin’ to the choir… lol. I have one of those kids too! ;)
It always amazes me that with answers literally at their fingertips they still can appear clueless! What a calamity it would be if they had to rely on encyclopedias. :D
 

DadOSix

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totally do-able in the field - if you have a way to get under the jeep.

sounds worse than it is, to be sure.
 
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