Hi Group,

I have a 1993 Infiniti J30 with just over 139k original miles on the 'ol clock. Well the car starts and runs great still. It's just the starter seems to have a different sound as it turns over. So I am contemplating that may well be a possible starter failure could eventually happen. I have read through the tech Manual from the trunk and all the book shows is the Wiring Diagram and How to repair/rebuild starter with basic specs. I have searched the 'net to no avail on the J30 Starter replacement or even a Nissan 300-ZX as it shares the same basic VG30DE engine with the J and have seen absolutely Nothing. So has anyone had to replace their starter in their J...? How Difficult is it? And would anyone have detailed instructions on how to accomplish the task before I am forced to change the starter. Pictures and or Diagrams would also be helpful.

Thanks,

Larry

sorry Larry, it's one of the few things I haven't attempted cause my starter nor alternator have given me problems in the years I have had this J30.
I have seen Maxima and Q45 youtube or NICO writeups, but not the J30.
I would imagine you would take the driver side front wheel off after putting the car on jack stands and remove the three wires, and the two bolts holding the starter on to the block...
I'm not sure what's in the way, if anything...
I would have some extensions and maybe knuckle joint for your sockets, along with a breaker bar....

Make sure you have the replacement bench tested before you leave the store!!!!
Many aftermarket electronics are poorly rebuilt.

Yeah Thanks for the reply "fourdrinie ",

Yeah the starter on my J finally gave up the Ghost the other day sitting in my driveway. But with all things considered on this Classic Diva, One should keep things in perspective. Such as, Lord knows if this is the original Starter and if So at 22 years of age and just over 139k miles later...I can't really b**** about it or hold it against the car.

The Starter Now Scrapes a Bit and Whines and doesn't start, So No Messing until I am able to get it repaired as to not damage the Flywheel as well. But from what I Understand It isn't all that Difficult to replace the starter but there never seems to be absolutely no documentation anywhere for the J30 or even the Nissan Sports car Cousin, the 300-ZX. Yeah, I did see all of the listings all over the net about the Q45, Maxima/I30, Sentra/G20 and every other Nissan and Infiniti applications as well.

These parts houses seem to only offer Rebuilt or Remanufactured starters for my J these days, besides That would more than likely be the most economical way to go. So That being said, The Starters are averaging $120-$125 Minus the Core Charge. Although I found a Local Pep-Boys that will replace the Starter for me for around $239 out the door.

The only other car that I had attempted to replace a starter in was my Grandpa's '74 Buick Electra 225 (Deuce and a Quarter), Especially trying to maneuver the starter around the Exhaust Pipe that curved directly below the starter on that Electra, I must say that was an experience. But this was Why I was wondering if there would be any pitfalls to replacing this starter myself, because DAYUM this car is pricey on any replacement parts and I would hate to damage anything else. On many of my cars over the years I have replaced the Alternators and Belt's, that sort of thing. So I aint totally helpless with a car to a certain point.

Larry

http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/CheapTricks/Starter.shtml

Check out this site...if you have the time and courage, you might want to rebuild it yourself.
I took my brother's starter apart, and was able to replace the contacts...
There also might be some auto electric rebuilders in your area that would be able to rebuild yours. Check your local Yellow Pages or google auto electric shops in your area.

I have a hard time trusting Pep Boys or Autozone to furnish good replacement starters....if you do, try find one that gives a lifetime warranty and not just a one year guarantee.

I've already got the directions on how to rebuild the Starter in the factory Service manual from inside the trunk, in the Electronics section (pages EL-21 thru El-27) just before how to rebuild the Alternator and after how to handle the battery.

That isn't the Issue, I just need some detailed instructions on how to uninstall and reinstall the starter and what tools would be necessary to complete the task. As I said, I would assume that it would be similar to the Nissan 300-ZX from that timeframe as it shares the same basic VG30DE, 3.0 Litre Non-Twin-Turbo Flavored Engine.

I recently helped a friend replace the starter in his 1995 J30 and made a youtube video of it. For some reason, I can't post the Youtube link, but the title of the video on Youtube is:
1995 Infiniti J30 Starter Replacement (Same as Nissan Maxima)
Or you can search by my Youtube User name: Dan the Fix it Man
It was pretty easy, hope my video helps you.
Thanks,
Dan

Thanks Buddy. I really do appreciate that. I ended up going to the local Pep Boys store and It ended up just over $200. But it turned out that some A$$Hole put silicone gel/sealant all over the plug coming from the starter. I profusely apologized to the man about that, I really did feel bad about that. I know one other site other than here on “NICOClub” would be http://fuzzycats.com/j30_diy.htm. This guy saved my a** with the Window Regulator on my driver’s door and the Window Motor on the Passenger Front door.

But since then I have also had to replace an alternator in my J. Most places wanted roughly $500 to do it and of course down here in North Carolina there is a MEGA Tax on the slightest Car repairs now. Anyways, to order a new one, through Infiniti Parts USA online was roughly $400. Most parts houses do not offer a new one for the J these days. So, I ended up with a remanufactured one through AutoZone.com. That was an experience dealing with their online service.... Absolutely Not a recommended course of action. I got my core charged back to my debit card, ok. But the problem is, if one wants a hardcopy/paper receipt for our maintenance records on a classic vehicle such as this would be a must. The point is that there is NO WAY IN HELL that they will EVER give you one. According to the broken record CSR at AutoZone Corporate "We Only send Receipts Electronically if an item is ordered online". Which I have never had a problem in obtaining a paper receipt for anything that I have purchased online elsewhere. Besides, "Electronic Receipts" are not what folks want to see when purchasing a classic vehicle. I did finally get an AutoZone employee at another store that seemed to know what the hell he was talking about and he told me that when I ordered the Alternator, that the confirmation of my order that was sent to my email address was in fact the receipt that I sought for my part. I eventually had to give up and go to the local City Library to print out the receipt from my email account. I even told the broken record CSR at AutoZone Corporate that she could keep the Damn Core Charge of $38 if she would Print me a Hardcopy/Paper receipt for my records and she still repeated herself with the exact same statement. I ended up paying this guy who is a boyfriend to a girl that I went to High School with to install the Alternator for $60 which to me was fair enough, If I would have had It I would have in fact paid him much more considering where the damn thing is located on the VG30DE Engine and it taking him nearly 2 hours to do it. Again, I really did feel bad for even asking him to do the job but I did need my J up and functional once again.