How to Replace the Starter in a Chrysler Town & Country
A starter cranks the engine, drawing air and fuel into the cylinders of your 2000 to 2005 Chrysler Town & Country and compressing them so they will ignite. It also gets the ignition and crankshaft into place so the spark plugs will fire and the fuel injectors will operate. Therefore, a failing starter will prevent the engine from starting. Follow these steps to replace the starter in your vehicle.
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Things You'll Need
- Battery terminal puller
- Car jacks
- Masking tape
- Permanent marker
- Wrench
- Baby food jar
- Torque wrench
Instructions
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1
Park your Chrysler Town & Country on a level surface, activate the emergency brake and place blocks behind the back tires for safety. Disconnect the negative battery cable with a terminal puller. Raise the front end of the car with a jack for easier access to the starter.
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2
Label the starter electrical connections so you can remember where they go. Wrap a small piece of tape around the wire and write its location on the tape. Then, detach the electrical connections from the starter.
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3
Unscrew the starter mounting bolts. Place all bolts and nuts in the baby food jar for safe keeping. Remove the starter from the vehicle's engine.
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4
Take your malfunctioning starter to the parts store with you. Aftermarket distributors remanufacture most of the starters they sell, so you can likely obtain a partial credit toward your new starter by exchanging your old one. Be sure that you take care not to damage the starter in transit, because the better condition it is in, the more you can get for it.
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Purchase a replacement starter that has the same or higher cranking capacity (power rating) as the original starter. Also, match the bolt patterns, drive gears and electrical connections. Your owner's manual may list specifications or the auto parts technician will help you determine them. Download a free owner's manual at My Chrysler (see Resources).
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6
Reverse the removal process to install the new starter. Torque the starter mounting bolts to 35 foot pounds (47 Nm). Tighten the positive battery cable retaining nut to 100 inch pounds (11 Nm).
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7
Lower your Town & Country back to the ground. Reconnect the negative battery cable. Turn the key in the ignition to see if your new starter motor functions correctly.
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Tips & Warnings
Always inspect the battery, solenoid and alternator to be certain they are working properly before replacing a starter. When an engine fails to start, many do-it-yourselfers misdiagnose the problem as the starter and replace it unnecessarily, only to find that the vehicle still won't start.
If you believe your starter is in the problem, use a bench test to see if the starter motor spins and how well the starter is performing. A bench test will check the amp load, voltage and RPMs. If the starter is good, it will draw 60 to 150 amps with no load and up to 250 amps under load.
If your Town & Country is an older model and/or has high mileage, you should also replace the solenoid.
The disconnection of the negative battery cable may interfere with the on board computer function. Upon reconnection, the computer may need to go through a relearning process.
Never operate the starter for more than 30 seconds at a time. Allow the starter motor to cool for at least two minutes in between starting attempts to prevent permanent damage.
The starter replacement process is different for later models. Consult your owner's manual or a mechanic for details.
