# Starter relay or starter dead?



## snowie (Jan 6, 2007)

Hi,

I'm currently on vacation and my trusty 1997 (U13) Altima 5-speed (which was giving me intermittent starting problems) finally refused to start. 

This car has been so reliable; and I absolutely love it. It has 244,115 miles on it currently and if not for this starting problem, is absolutely a fantastic workhorse that's cheap to run and own. I give it the best care too, on Mobil 1 and K&N (air and oil) filters, Bosch Platinum +4 plugs, Sensatrack shocks...etc

At first, I thought it was a worn clutch switch. But I closed the contacts manually and it still didn't start.

So my bet is now either the relay (hopefully) or starter motor (not so good) - because I'm currently on vacation and don't have my tools handy. 

But I did a quick glance under the hood and couldn't find anything labeled "Starter" in the relay box cover. Could someone tell me where exactly is the starter relay located so I can diagnose it further tomorrow?

And, it would be handy to know where the starter is located and... if I absolutely need to, how to yank it out.

I wasn't able to find any photos online either, so any help would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance!!

- Snowie


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## Aussie_Dan (Aug 21, 2004)

I'm not sure where the starter relay is Snowie, but i do know how to get the starter out...
The starter sits behind your engine near the firewall and its held in by 2 bolts which pass through the gearbox bellhousing. It's pretty crowded with wiring etc. down there, so you may find it easier if you remove the airbox first, to give you some room to work. You can tell which bolts hold the starter in, as they are either side of the 'hump' in the bellhousing which is there to allow the starter to partially sit in on top of the flywheel.
Once you have got the mounting bolts undone, you will need to get in underneath the car and undo the plug that connects the starter to the electrical loom and also the electrical terminal which bolts straight onto the starter. You will know what i mean when you see it.
You should then have enough room to slide the starter out and remove it from underneath the car.
One last thing... Make sure you disconnect your battery before you start this task!
Hope this helps, Dan.


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