Replacing the starter on a 2004 kia spectra... any tips?

hey folks, trying to replace the starter on my 2004 kia spectra with the 1.8 engine. it was working fine before i swapped out the hub, but now it won’t start. the fuses are all good, and i’m not hearing any clicks from the starter. anyone been through this?

yup, sounds familiar. you might want to check the start relay in the fuse box under the hood. sometimes it just needs a swap to get things going again.

DanBurn said:
yup, sounds familiar. you might want to check the start relay in the fuse box under the hood. sometimes it just needs a swap to get things going again.

thanks. i swapped it out, but no change. i could feel it click though. think it might be the wiring?

@Cynthia
if the relay clicks, could be a break in the trigger wire going to the starter. had a similar issue with mine.

have you tried checking if the starter’s getting power? sometimes the small wire on it can be finicky.

Musk said:
have you tried checking if the starter’s getting power? sometimes the small wire on it can be finicky.

not yet, but that’s next on the list. i’ll check if there’s any juice coming through.

if you get power on the starter wire, it’s probably the starter itself that needs replacing.

Luchivya said:
if you get power on the starter wire, it’s probably the starter itself that needs replacing.

good call. starters on these cars can be a bit hit or miss.

oh, and if you’ve got a remote starter, sometimes that can mess with things. i had issues once after messing with the key fob.

fabgise said:
oh, and if you’ve got a remote starter, sometimes that can mess with things. i had issues once after messing with the key fob.

interesting, didn’t think of that. mine’s malfunctioning, so i’ll keep that in mind.

it could be a grounding issue too. sometimes just reseating connections helps.