In this video, you will see the complete process of locating and replacing the starter motor on a Ford Taurus equipped with the 2.0L EcoBoost turbo engine. If your car won’t crank over, makes a single sharp clicking sound when you turn the key or press the start button, or leaves you stranded with a completely dead ignition, this visual guide shows you exactly where to look under the hood to find the starter and how to swap it out.
How this video helps you: Unlike the naturally aspirated engines, the 2.0L EcoBoost turbo configuration places the starter motor on the front side of the engine block, tucked tightly underneath the intake manifold assembly and right behind the radiator cooling fan shroud. Because it is buried beneath the plastic air intake ducting, turbo charge pipes, and structural wiring looms, it is completely hidden from normal view. This video points directly to its exact position on the vehicle so you can see it clearly. You will see how to clear away the top intake plumbing to gain working room, how to navigate around the tight cooling lines, and the easiest way to access and remove the mounting bolts.
⚠️ CRITICAL SAFETY NOTE: Before touching any tools to the starter motor, always disconnect the negative battery terminal inside the engine bay battery box. The thick main power cable attached to the starter solenoid connects directly to the battery and carries a live, un-fused electrical charge. If your metal wrench accidentally touches this live post and contacts a nearby engine bracket or the vehicle frame, it will create an instant, massive electrical short circuit with intense sparks, risking severe burns and frying sensitive electronic control modules.
Common symptoms of a bad Starter Motor: The starter is a high-torque electric motor that physically spins the engine’s flywheel to fire up the car. When the internal electrical brushes wear out, the solenoid contacts pit, or the starter motor seizes, you will experience these classic warning signs:
- Single Loud Click or Absolute Silence: When you turn the ignition key or press the start button, the dashboard lights up perfectly fine, but the engine doesn’t spin. Instead, you just hear a single, sharp “click” from under the hood or absolute silence.
- Intermittent No-Start Issues: The car fires up beautifully on some days, but on others, it takes four or five tries before the starter suddenly decides to engage and turn the engine over.
- Slow, Sluggish Cranking: The starter sounds weak and tired, cranking the engine over very slowly (rrr-rrr-rrr) as if the battery is completely dead, even though a battery test proves it is fully charged and healthy.
- Grinding Metallic Noise: If the starter bendix gear or the teeth on the flywheel are worn down, the starter will spin but fail to mesh properly, creating a horrific metal-on-metal grinding noise when you try to start the car.
- Smoke or Burning Smell: Continuous cranking of a failing, seized starter motor draws massive amounts of amperage, causing the internal electrical wiring to overheat, melt, and emit a distinct burning electrical odor.
Watch the video to see the exact location on the engine and get your vehicle starting reliably again!