I've been having some starting problems with my 03. So I'm assuming it must be the starter. Car will start fine every morning, but after a few times of turning the car off it won't start.

Anyone know where the heck the starter is first of all?
Need some advice on how too, or if I should just take it to a shop. (which I would rather not do)

Thanks

 

remove the intercooler and you'll see. It's attached to transmission

 

Why are you assuming it's the starter? When you say it doesn't start, exactly what happens? Does it fail to crank at all, crank slowly, or crank normally and not fire?
While not unheard of, starter failures on these engines are rare. Proper troubleshooting should be done before just throwing parts at it. If you are having a no-crank condition, take voltage measurements at the starter when it happens. No voltage present means it's not the starter. In this case it may be as simple as the clutch interlock switch being bad or out of adjustment (or having the floor mat stuck behind the pedal, it happens).

 

starter is under the intercooler. its not hard to remove/replace but, cover your bases first. does it not start after driving it around (warmed up). i wouldn't assume its the starter cause they are not cheap. more info would help us help you.

 

Thanks for the advice. So when i try to start it will make a clicking sound, and all the gauges come on, but no turn over. It will take about 10 times of trying to start then all of a sudden it will start right up.

What exactly is the "clutch interlock switch" what does it do?

Thanks

 

The interlock switch prevents the starter from operating unless the clutch pedal is all the way down, to avoid starting in gear by accident. Make sure nothing is getting stuck under the pedal (floor mat or something else), you can test the switch with a meter (either by ohms or voltage) to be sure it is activating when the pedal is down. Note that there are two switches attached to the clutch linkage, the other one is for the cruise control to deactivate it when the clutch is pressed. Don't mix them up when testing.
Is it a single click, or repetitive?
I'd check all the main power and ground connections as well, both at the battery itself (take the terminals off and look for corrosion inside) and at the engine and frame. A poor connection can cause enough voltage drop to keep the starter from working but still allow the lights to come on.

 

If your getting a click I don't think its the clutch switch. Do check your voltages if you can. try hitting the starter with something while sometime tries to crank it. If it cranks over when you hit it, you have a bad starter