Starter replacement

ALEXANDRA BORING

MEMBER
1998 SATURN SL1
1.9L
4 CYL
AUTOMATIC
90,000 MILES

I am replacing the starter on my daughter's car. It is a base model car and quite frankly she does not take very good care of things (she is twenty two). Finances are a big issue. Which is why I am replacing it myself. I am ordering the part online but there are so many choices and I am worried about getting the wrong one. I have seen them as low as $36.00 and is high as $200.00. I am leaning towards the cheapest one I can get but I do not want to get one that is going to fail. Are there any manufacturers or brands that I should avoid or is there anything I should know before I make a decision and order the part? Other than making sure that I can return the part if it is not the right one. Thank you. Alex

1 Reply

CARADIODOC

MECHANIC
33,752 POSTS

Be aware that about half the time, when we read about a starting problem, the people already replaced the starter and it did not solve the problem.

You did not list anything to look at. I use the Rock Auto site a lot for reference. In this case, rebuilt units from GM are always higher cost because they are very proud of their parts. I would not hesitate to buy the lowest cost starter as long as you take the time to compare what was repaired and replaced. You will want a new solenoid and new brushes, at a minimum.