Hello! good night, today we will write an article about How to Change the Starter Motor on a Toyota Corolla
If your Corolla only clicks when you turn the key, the battery and connections may be good, and you may have a bad starter. Finish reading this article so you can learn how to change the starter motor on a toyota corolla.
How to change the starter motor on a Toyota Corolla?

It’s not uncommon for the starter motor to be wrongly blamed for a no-start failure when the real issue is an electrical failure. If a starter fails to crank normally, several things should be checked before spending money on a new starter.
Battery charge, fuse and relay should be checked first. Another source of starter-related issues is the power or ground cables. Connections should be checked to make sure they are good, solid and clean.
Here are the steps to change the starter on a Toyota Corolla:
- Remove the negative terminal of the battery.
- Jack up the Corolla and secure it with jack stands.
- Disconnect the plastic electrical connector from the existing starter motor.
- Remove the ground wire with a 12mm wrench.
- Remove the two 14mm bolts holding the old starter and remove it.
- Put the new starter motor and reinstall the two 14mm bolts.
- Reconnect the ground wire with a 12mm wrench.
- Put the electrical connector back on.
- Reconnect the negative terminal of the battery.
How to diagnose a bad starter on a Corolla?
You can do the following to verify that your Corolla’s starter motor is no longer working:
Detailed procedure for changing the starter on a Corolla
The following steps will tell you how to change the starter on a 2004 Toyota Corolla. These instructions would also apply to a 2003-2008 Corolla, Matrix, or Pontiac Vibe.
- Disconnect the negative battery terminal using the 10mm wrench or socket.
- Jack up the Toyota Corolla and secure it with the jack stands.
- Get under the car and locate the starter.
- The starter motor of a Toyota Corolla is located just above the oil filter. The oil filter is in the bottom left of the photo, dusty orange/black and out of focus. The starter with attached solenoid is near the center of the image.

- Then disconnect the electrical connections from the solenoid. One is a plastic connector where you have to press the tab on the side with your thumb or a flathead screwdriver and pull it out. The other is the ground wire nut, remove it with a 12mm wrench.
- Then remove the two 14mm bolts holding the starter, one at the top and one at the bottom. You may want to use a socket extension to reach the top screw.
- Remove the old starter. If it doesn’t come off right away, give it a few taps with a rubber or wooden mallet.
- You must put the new starter in the same position and in the same place where the old one was.
- Reinsert the screws in the reverse order.
- After installing the new starter, reconnect the negative battery terminal.
things you will need
Tools and parts needed for this repair:
If your Corolla only clicks when you turn the key, the battery and connections may be good, and you may have a bad starter. Finish reading this article so you can learn how to change the starter motor on a toyota corolla.
How to change the starter motor on a Toyota Corolla?

It’s not uncommon for the starter motor to be wrongly blamed for a no-start failure when the real issue is an electrical failure. If a starter fails to crank normally, several things should be checked before spending money on a new starter.
Battery charge, fuse and relay should be checked first. Another source of starter-related issues is the power or ground cables. Connections should be checked to make sure they are good, solid and clean.
Here are the steps to change the starter on a Toyota Corolla:
- Remove the negative terminal of the battery.
- Jack up the Corolla and secure it with jack stands.
- Disconnect the plastic electrical connector from the existing starter motor.
- Remove the ground wire with a 12mm wrench.
- Remove the two 14mm bolts holding the old starter and remove it.
- Put the new starter motor and reinstall the two 14mm bolts.
- Reconnect the ground wire with a 12mm wrench.
- Put the electrical connector back on.
- Reconnect the negative terminal of the battery.
How to diagnose a bad starter on a Corolla?
You can do the following to verify that your Corolla’s starter motor is no longer working:
Detailed procedure for changing the starter on a Corolla
The following steps will tell you how to change the starter on a 2004 Toyota Corolla. These instructions would also apply to a 2003-2008 Corolla, Matrix, or Pontiac Vibe.
- Disconnect the negative battery terminal using the 10mm wrench or socket.
- Jack up the Toyota Corolla and secure it with the jack stands.
- Get under the car and locate the starter.
- The starter motor of a Toyota Corolla is located just above the oil filter. The oil filter is in the bottom left of the photo, dusty orange/black and out of focus. The starter with attached solenoid is near the center of the image.

- Then disconnect the electrical connections from the solenoid. One is a plastic connector where you have to press the tab on the side with your thumb or a flathead screwdriver and pull it out. The other is the ground wire nut, remove it with a 12mm wrench.
- Then remove the two 14mm bolts holding the starter, one at the top and one at the bottom. You may want to use a socket extension to reach the top screw.
- Remove the old starter. If it doesn’t come off right away, give it a few taps with a rubber or wooden mallet.
- You must put the new starter in the same position and in the same place where the old one was.
- Reinsert the screws in the reverse order.
- After installing the new starter, reconnect the negative battery terminal.
things you will need
Tools and parts needed for this repair: