How to Replace the Starter in a Pontiac Bonneville
A starter cranks the engine, drawing air and fuel into the cylinders of your Pontiac Bonneville 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 a 2000 to 2005 Pontiac Bonneville with a 3.8L or 4.6L engine.
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Things You'll Need
- Battery terminal puller
- Car jack
- Wrench
- Baby food jar
- Masking tape
- Permanent marker
Instructions
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Remove the Malfunctioning Starter
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1
Park your Pontiac Bonneville 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
Remove the flexplate inspection cover on models with a 3.8L engine. Also remove the splash shield if necessary. Remove the intake manifold on 4.6L engines.
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3
Disconnect the positive battery cable (also known as the B-terminal or BAT cable) and the S-terminal (also known as the solenoid terminal) from the starter.
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4
Detach the transmission cooler line clip from the transmission on 3.8L engines, if necessary.
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5
Label the other wires connected to the starter so that you can remember where they connect later. Then, disconnect the remaining starter wires from the starter.
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6
Unscrew and remove the starter mounting bolts. Place all nuts and bolts from the removal process in the baby food jar to prevent loss. Remove the starter from the Pontiac Bonneville.
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7
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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8
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 after registering on My GMLink (see Resources).
Install the New Starter
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9
Secure the starter to the engine first on models with a 3.8L engine. Torque the mounting bolts to 32 foot pounds (43 Nm). Reattach the transmission cooler line clip and then connect the wiring. Tighten the B-terminal retaining nut to 89 inch pounds (ten Nm) and the S-terminal nut to 22 inch pounds (three Nm).
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10
Reconnect the starter wiring connections as your first step on a 4.6L engine. Tighten the S-terminal retaining nut to 35 inch pounds (four Nm) and the B-terminal nut to 89 inch pounds (ten Nm). Once the wire connections are secure, secure the starter mounting bolts by torquing them to 22 foot pounds (30 Nm).
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11
Attach the flexplate inspection cover back to the 3.8 L engine and torque the bolts to 62 inch pounds (seven Nm). Also, reinstall the splash shield, if removed. On 4.6L engines, reattach the intake manifold.
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12
Lower your Pontiac Bonneville 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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1
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 Bonneville 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 than the 2000 to 2005 Pontiac Bonneville. Consult your owner's manual or a mechanic for details.
