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Recently I had to change the starter in a 2002 Vue with the 3.0 V6. I read a post that really made the job seem very difficult. It made me seriously think about paying someone to do it for me. Wow, did he have a hard time with it.
If you are confronted with this, it isn't hard.
Put the front end up in the air (I have a 2 post lift) but jack stands will work too. Disconnect the battery (negative post). Take off the right front tire. Remove the push pins that hold the lower plastic inner fender out and remove the shield. The alternator is at the rear of the engine and will be easy to see. Remove the serpentine belt and remove the alternator (2 bolts, one wire connector plus one wire with a nut. Take alternator out. The starter motor is now visible and pretty easily accessible.
You will need a torx socket set. When you put in the new starter get it in place with your hands. Put a little piece of paper towel on the bolt and put the torx socket on it. This will help keep the bolt from falling out of the socket. Wrap a 3/8" drive universal joint with a couple turns of electrical tape to let it stay flexible but not flexible enough for the weight of the torx socket to cause it to change it's angle. Put an extension or two into the universal joint and put in the bottom bolt. You should only be turning the extension with your fingers - do NOT put a ratchet on it yet. Once you have the bottom bolt in, the top hole in the starter will be lined up with the threads in the bell housing. Use the same technique to put in the top bolt. You will not be able to see what you're doing with the top bolt. It is all by feel. Now, it is time to use a ratchet and properly torque the bolts. I checked the timestamp on the pictures. It took 9 minutes to get the starter bolted in.
Reconnect the wires, put the alternator back in, put the serpentine belt back on (if it looks even a little frayed or cracked, put on a new one). Replace the plastic inner fender put on the front tire and set it back down on the ground. Reattach the battery and start the engine.
The new starter is in place, ready for the wires. With the alternator in place, you really can't get to the starter! Ready to mount the new starter.
2002 Vue 3.0 starter motor replacement
