Where Is the Starter on a '98 Suburban?

In today's hustle and bustle society, a no-start situation in a vehicle is a very unwelcome event. When the engine does not turn over on the 1998 Chevrolet Suburban, it can be an indicator that the starter is malfunctioning . The starter on the 1998 Chevrolet Suburban with the 5.7-liter engine is located on the right side of the engine, near the oil pan.

Things You'll Need

  • Jack
  • Jack stands
  • Rathcet
  • Socket set with extensions
  • Dielectric grease
  • Foot-pounds torque wrench
  • Inch-pounds torque wrench
  • Open the hood on the Suburban. Remove the negative battery cable from the battery, using a ratchet and a socket. Raise the front of the SUV with a jack, then place jack stands beneath the front sub-frame rails

  • Remove the wire hold-down nuts and the wires from the starter solenoid. Remove the upper bolt from the starter bracket, and remove the bracket from the starter. Remove the starter mounting bolts, and place one hand beneath the starter as you remove the second bolt. Make note of the location of shims, if any.

  • Lower the starter from the Suburban, then remove the heat shield mounting nut and the bolt. Transfer the heat shield to the new starter. Tighten the shield nut to 71 inch-pounds, and the bolt to 106 inch-pounds, using a torque wrench and socket.

  • Install the new starter on the Suburban, with any shims in their original locations, and hand-thread the starter bolts a few turns, to make sure you do not cross-thread the bolts. Tighten the starter bolts to 40 foot-pounds. Install the wires on the solenoid, then tighten the starter solenoid hold down nuts to 70 inch-pounds.

  • Install the starter bracket mounting bolt. Install the negative battery cable to the battery, and tighten the nut to 11 foot-pounds. Turn the ignition key to test the new starter, then shut the engine off. Lower the Suburban to the ground.