How to Replace a Starter on a 2008 BMW 328i (N52)

[@thechosen1421]

This is the best video I’ve seen for replacing the starter I’m replacing the crankshaft sensor and starter (because why not) and every video involved removing throttle body and intake completely. I have no doubt this video will save me hours

[@HowtoAutomotive]

Jamario Clinton glad to help you save some time. Thank you for watching!

[@Col.Cernel.Cobbler]

OP please pin comment^^

[@thechosen1421]

I never commented but it was easy work. I did replace the intake orings on reassembly

[@7Buffalo6]

Great video. Took me a little longer than you but I was able to swap that puppy out. That back bolt was a challenge but she finally broke. Light rain and I closed my trunk also but the thread saved me there. I appreciate your step by step style stating tool sizes. Saved $450 and some change. Kids were impressed, and wife was pumped. Thanks again! Paul from the urban sprawl of LA

[@HowtoAutomotive]

7buffalo6 that's too cool I'm glad it helped out. Thank you for writing and watching!

[@franklinp4540]

I juat want to say that this video saved me twice now. I had all the signals of a bad starter. Battery was good, my dash lights were on, if I opened the hood and heard and had someone else turn try and start it, there would be clicking sounds but that's it. Went to autozone and got a duralast remanufacrured starter. I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS. I installed by simply watching this video and car ran great for about two months then jt wouldn't start. All the same symptoms. I returned to this video when I changed out the bad starter for a brand new duralast one(not sure how long it will last, if I could I would have went with bosch starter but I need my car right now), the second installation only took me hour and a half to two hours. Very important to have the 11mm wrench with 12 point for the back bolt. Also an extender was critical to removing bottom bolt of starter. He doesn't mention it I think but you need a t20 for the snorkel, I didn't have that and left the snorkel on actually, just removed the connection right after the snorkel. Maneuvering the manifold was made easier with some metal wires for me to hold it in place. Look through gaps in the manifold to see what you're doing. Definitely put the paper in the socket when putting the driver side bolt in to hold it in place. I think it was quicker threading the back bolt first. Good lighting is critical, I had a headlamp to help me. Besides that, follow this to a t and you're good. Thanks a lot random KZbin, you did me a solid.

[@rayharvey4696]

GREAT video.. I’m no mechanic but your step by step instructions made this pretty easy. Saved me about a grand too. Thanks

[@LikelyProcrastinating]

If you have issues breaking loose the rear starter bolt, try putting the closed end of another wrench on the open end of the 11mm to extend your leverage. The rear bolt on mine was a struggle to remove after unscrewing because the sound proofing from the body was loose and in the way on our 06’ 325xi. 2nd owner, it has 175k, still solid at 18 years. If you have the time, it may be worth filly removing the intake and replacing the CCV assembly, part of it is that foam wrapped hose connected at the rear of the valve cover. I heard some plastic cracking from it when it was moved. Because of that cracking noise, I skipped replacing the intake rings and will do the CCV assembly and the rings at that time. Thanks for the video!

[@JohsBeemer]

It was a hell of a job, but I have fixed it in about 8 hours. I did it very slow and looked at every bolt and part. The bolt at the backside of the starter is a tricky one. Watch out for the tiny little sensors and cables under the manifold. Be extra secure !!! Thanks for the excellent video.

[@richardchurlin6693]

Excellent video! Watch step-by-step! This guy is definitely a professional!

[@michaelpalestrini1392]

This is a phenomenal video. Concise and thorough. Camera work was excellent. Can't understand why anyone would give a thumbs down.

[@rickhamilton20]

Thanks for the video! It took me 2 hours and I was in no rush. Actually a lot easier than I expected. I removed the 3 manifold studs and that made it even easier.

[@HowtoAutomotive]

Rick Hamilton glad the video helped. Thank you for watching!

[@justinknott6217]

Just did mine - let me save everyone hours - bolts stuck ? If so buy a butane lighter and heat the bolts directly with it - that should break them free - also starter might be stuck or hard to pull out - long screwdriver and work it in the crease and turn the handle - to wedge it free - it’s an awkward position to get up in there but this is the only way - other than that this tutorial was spot on - swap the gaskets on the manifold too - they are a one time use - 10 hour job

[@TheBanana250]

Thank you so much for this great video! I just got the starter out all by myself while my husband was at work, and I have basically no mechanical experience! Thank you for making it so easy! Tomorrow, we try installing the new one. Oh, only one mistake I made: I just closed the trunk while the negative battery was disconnected. !!??!?

[@HowtoAutomotive]

TheBanana250 that's awesome that you did that!! You should be able to open the trunk with your key just above the Lysholm plate will be a little hole for it. If not and it's full electronic then pop the hood and in the engine bay look for a red plastic cover it's going to be by the washer fluid bottle. Pull the cover off and put the positive lead to a jump box or jumper cables to that and put the negative ground cable on the engine block and that should apply power to car .to open the trunk with your remote. Hope this helps let me know how comes out.

[@TheBanana250]

Question: My auto parts guy said to bring in the starter bolts and he'd match them up, after trying to tell me I shouldn't need new ones. The bolts I took out look great, are they just too fragile to reuse? I'm afraid whoever I talked to didn't know what he was talking about, and when I get there today to have them "match up" the bolts, that they won't have what I need and I won't be able to put my starter in until they get new ones for me. So, can those bolts be reused if necessary?

[@HowtoAutomotive]

TheBanana250 your parts guy doesn't know what he's talking about the bolts definitely needs to be replaced. There is like an 85% chance that the old bolts will break if you reuse them. If you have a BMW dealer near you they should have them in stock.

[@TheBanana250]

Ack! That's what I thought. Well, we live 3 hours from any dealership and my autoparts store couldn't get them for a week. I went in and of course I was told I had to order them (which I had already tried to do). So, I really, really needed my car, and decided to try to see if I was the 15% that would NOT break the bolts... and it WORKED! I think I got lucky. And we just started the car and it worked PERFECTLY! Also, there was a key hole on the trunk, so we were able to get it open just fine, which is good because it was in the garage, and we discovered that we couldn't push it out to get jumper cables to it, because it couldn't even be put in gear so we could push it out. So everything worked out perfectly. Thank you!

[@HowtoAutomotive]

TheBanana250 wow very cool! I'm glad it all worked out. Thank you for writing back to me I love hearing success stories. I can only imagine how surprised your husband must've been to find the starter out. The coolest part is how you took charge and made it happen. Thank you again!

[@billwilliams4877]

To clarify on the back bolt. Slip your left hand UNDER the manifold and turn the 11 mm like you are arm wrestling. That is the only way I was able to generate enough force. Great DIY!

[@ShahidKhan-zr6om]

I mean to say can i put the intake manifold aside without removing the vaccum line at the rear......

[@Buckettboyz]

What tools did you need exactly to take it off I’m new to bmw and I hear ppl talking about e bits and stuff

[@obbaron]

The 11mm wrench on the back of that bolt was key. Thanks for your help car is running again!

[@HowtoAutomotive]

Glad the video was helpful. Thank you for watching!

[@gail6904]

also what is that piece (wobbler) ..what does that do and where do u get one of those? please respond, also to thread below..thank u excellent video

[@klabeutel]

Really good and informative video, much appreciated! Am I right that it's very similar to the procedure on a 2009 BMW X3 xdrive 30i?

[@HowtoAutomotive]

Werner Rose yes it's pretty much the same job.

[@genjioto]

What exactly are all the tools needed for this job so I am not missing anything.

[@antonymutua8637]

I lost my spanner trying to get the 11 mm aluminum bolt out any help on how i can retrieve it

[@genjioto]

Do starters need some type of lube or do you install as-is.

[@HowtoAutomotive]

No lubricant required

[@stevenmoore5314]

Is there a possibility of causing an oil leak during this process, after the starter change one appeared in this same area

[@CGKf35]

Which bolts need to be replaced brand new? Size and type to be exact. Thanks.

[@gail6904]

i out the new starter in but put the back bolt in first and now the bottom bolt wont snug up all the way..i got new bolts..is there a reason u replace the botton bolt first? I cant for the life on me get it in all the way ...only half way

[@lhnunn7152]

Nice video! Did you have to remove the throttle body as well?

[@Joseph-gi9fw]

Did you get a clicking noise while you were trying to start the car? I have 2011 328i and my car just clicks no crank. Battery is good, I replaced positive battery terminal, disconnected IBS in negative. Still not luck.

[@HowtoAutomotive]

Joseph Barton Yeah that’s pretty much the symptom.

[@Joseph-gi9fw]

Thank you

[@edgarvasquez594]

Awesome tutorial! Will this process be the same for a 2011 528i? I am looking to do this this weekend

[@HowtoAutomotive]

Edgar Vasquez I believe it is the same. Good luck with the job and thank you for watching.

[@dylanlewis14]

same way I do it but use power tools and I have never replace the intake gaskets and out for the 20 or 30 starters I have done never had a leak. I do replace the blots

[@HowtoAutomotive]

Dylan Lewis I like to use the power tools to I just did with hand tools for the video so the people that don't have them would get a idea of how to do it.

[@dylanlewis14]

very good point being its a how to video. Those starters are horrble along with thoses pesky water pumps 100k

[@joshliddicoat8328]

I know this is probably a stupid question, but will this same process work on an '07 328xi? I just bought one, and I'm definitely still trying to learn.

[@HowtoAutomotive]

Josh Liddicoat it is The same process. And no question is a stupid question. Thank you for watching your writing!

[@CarlosGarcia-ij6pz]

I have a question I have a BMW 2008 328i and before it died on me it would hesitate to start and then it would start so I thought it was a battery so I switched the battery out and it wasn't the battery

[@HowtoAutomotive]

Carlos Garcia I would check for code and check fuel pressure.

[@juliodiaz8280]

How long did it take you to do this?

[@marvinwilliams4223]

Thank you. When I'm trying to start the car is clicking and I can hear the fuel pump humming for a few seconds and the car won't crank what so ever. I can even hear clicking under the hood. I tried charging the battery and removing the ibs and neither has helped. There's a good chance the starter is toast

[@ASH-mb7xv]

Marvin Williams Was it the starter? My car was doing the same thing as yours. I tapped my starter while my daughter pushed the start button and it fired right up. I think my starter may have been stuck, or I may end up needing a new starter. Hope you got your car fixed

[@marvinwilliams4223]

@@ASH-mb7xv yup it was the starter

[@ShahidKhan-zr6om]

Sir one question is it a must for remove fhe vaccum line from the intake manifold at the rear side of the intake manifold or it can be just putted aside just like in your video...... coz am scared the vaccum line might break??

[@HowtoAutomotive]

Shahid Khan I would try to do it with the lines just pushed over to the side. If not you have to do what you Gotta do

[@ShahidKhan-zr6om]

How to Automotive thanks alot sir

[@enriquesanchez7018]

Great video brotha man help me alot

[@DeShawn1979]

would this be the same for a 2008 E60 528i BMW. It uses the same engine I presume as a 3 series.

[@HowtoAutomotive]

Yes it's the same. Thank you for watching and good luck.

[@aaryadeb893]

My starter is not coming out after removing the bolts. Think it is the corrosion. I have tried spraying WD 40, and prying with a flathead. Could the teeth be stuck to the flywheel? If not what else should I do, if someone can pls suggest

[@HowtoAutomotive]

I don’t believe it’s possible for the teeth to get stuff. Try lightly tapping it with her hammer back-and-forth side to side and use your prybar or screwdriver to pry out. The tabs are very light though not hard hitting.

[@Brandon__Stone]

need answer asap ;/ how do You know the starter does not work..my car right now when i crank it the car makes a kinda computer noise to me any ways.The Power seems fine to me i don't see any lights dim when i try to crank it

[@HowtoAutomotive]

SkiTle it would be very difficult for me to say without hearing the noise myself. I recommend swing by a automotive shop and ask them if it sounds like a bad starter. They could even tested it for you. t They usually don't charge very much for that.

[@Brandon__Stone]

Well I took the battery out and had it charged to 100%. It was at 68%. I'm start on the starter tomorrow. Battery did not fix it.

[@johnocampo1737]

Is it necessarily to change the o rings ?

[@HowtoAutomotive]

I have done it without changing your rings and everything worked out perfect but there's always that chance. Thank you for watching.

[@johnocampo1737]

+How to Automotive thank you , also what type of starter should I buy ?

[@Usmanthemecano]

Nice job! Now I need a video on how to retrieve the brake booster grommet out of the booster lol

[@johnndoee7315]

I replaced the starter on my 2007 328xi today and after reassembling everything it still wouldn't start. All I got was a clicking noise. Any suggestions?

[@HowtoAutomotive]

John Doee try jump start car with jump pack. Sounds like battery is dead.

[@Kev7Ro]

what is the proper name for the connector that goes on the starter? I replaced the starter and my car still didn't crank just clicked. if someone would press the push start button and I would push down on that connector with a flat head it would turn on just fine.

[@HowtoAutomotive]

Kev7Ro there are two wires going to the starter on this car the bigger one is the battery positive feed and the smaller wire is sometimes referred to as the exciter wire.

[@Kev7Ro]

How to Automotive Thank you sir, it's the black plug with the clip that goes right under the positive wire. the one you are holding at 4:43.

[@HowtoAutomotive]

Kev7Ro that is the one I was referring to as a exciter wire. Could be called something else but that's what a lot of manufactures call it.

[@HowtoAutomotive]

Kev7Ro most likely you'll have to get that connector from the dealer

[@mosoliman143]

Thank you 🙏🏿 you Do good job God bless you thank you 👍🏿

[@HowtoAutomotive]

Mohmad Soliman thank you!

[@jantewhite6643]

Great video! My starter is getting replaced on my 2007 328xi. I see why it takes a while!. That’s slot of labor, and a bitch…to get to the starter. Thanks for your detailed video!. Great job! Keep uoo ok the good work!.

[@AlejandroGarcia-rj8lq]

Anyone know a good reliable starter I can buy ?

[@HowtoAutomotive]

Alejandro Garcia check with CRP Automotive. They make great parts for BMW.

[@kennyt8730]

Nice vid bruh, but you made me nervous doing the whole job with open ports. I'd crunch up a shop towel and stuff the ports once they are open.

[@charlee7579]

Video saved me some time and aggravation trying to remove manifold,was able to get starter out the way you showed,but once removed,bench checked starter and it works...NOW WHAT...SMH...

[@jg4hunnid]

Great video

[@HowtoAutomotive]

Thank you!

[@florentin1888]

What is the price for this type of job?

[@Valenfrances]

Florent, $1,000 at the BMW dealer.

[@florentin1888]

@@Valenfrances I'll do it myself...

[@Valenfrances]

Florentin Rosales I just did it myself it took about 3 hours. You can get a remanufactured starter on Amazon for $115 with a $75 rebate.

[@florentin1888]

@@Valenfrances sounds like a deal...

[@florentin1888]

@@Valenfrances also to ,have you had issue with your bmw .like mine will stall out at times while driving.then wait about 5 min to restart it.

[@ZSSJGokuZ]

u are a god for this thanks

[@johnovalle8041]

Now I know why I don’t even buy these buckets 😂

[@305tyrone4]

Somebody screwed both bolts through the back for the 328i im working on

[@mannymoo]

The 11 mm wrench has not worked for me