I have spent 1/2 hour on the car yesterday, and 2 hours on the computer today to find out how to get the starter off the car.

It is all loose, but I can find a way to get it out of the car.

Do I have to take the alternator off (or A/C) to make room.

Car needs to come off hoist today, so I really need some help here.

Please.

 

I did not get any bites/help/tips.
So I went ahead:
- first tried to get the alternator off, but bolts not accessible without major work
- tried to get the plastic cover off the alternator rear to make more room, but gave up since the 2 or 3 philips head srews are not easy to get to
- took all wires off alternator and starter
- took the plastic (?) cap of the round thing on the starter (solenoid?)
- moved starter around; closest escape route between alternator (plastic duct at bottom) and motor mount
- use pry bar between subframe and engine and pushed engine forward
- created enough room to slip the starter past the plastic alternator duct and the motor mount.

Note: later received Audi manual pages with how to's for starter removal. Calls for removal of the alternator (and likely the whole front bumper!)

 

Dude,piece of cake, unbolt the cv shaft, it comes right out,did one yesterday,,, fear of the unknown

 

Nice idea. When I did it on my dear departed 96, I pulled the alternator. It is NOT a fun job. My sympathies.

BTW, pull the front bumper is about a 10 minute job. Pulled mine today.

 

If yours is like my 99 a4 2.8, many say you can work through your tire well. Don't waste your energy just take your bumper off, remove your alternator and belt and use a couple extensions to reach the starter behind the alternator. A little more work for a little less agony.

 

Son #2 and I replaced the starter on his 2000 S4 (2.7T) by first pulling the alternator. The starter then barely fit, in one orientation only, straight forward through the opening created by the alternator-ectomy.

 

Remove the front right motor mount (both sides) disconnect the front right sway bar mount and the dipstick tube. After you get the two bolts out of the starter, it will come right out, otherwise it hangs up on the dipstick and no mater how your twist and turn it, its not going to come out unless the alternator is removed which you sure don't want to do. The rear bolt is a major pain in the butt to get out as you can only turn it about 1/16th of a turn at a time. Spent about 2 hours after I got the starter loose, and until I saw it was hitting the dip stick tube and pulled it out there was no way it would come out.

 

OP has probably solved this problem since it's been 3+ years...

:-P