officialjay813

Anyone know how to remove a starter from an 2012 Audi A8 4.2L

EricVonHa

How much pain do you want?

The "book" destructions involve dropping the subframe (with full front suspension).

It can be done also by dissecting everything in the pass side front corner. Alternator needs to be removed. Motor mount on the pass side needs to come apart and you'll need an engine support bar. Sway bar.. everything in the way needs to get out of the way and starter comes out from the front.

One bolt needs to be removed from the starter from behind the wheel and you can't see it, only feel it. This requires a ridiculous assembly of entensions/wobble contraption and ideally you'll need a 2nd set of hands. It is a complete braille method without a 2nd set of hands.

If you consider yourself to be a high-end DIY'er with an awesome set of tools, the job takes ~12 hours without removing the subframe. I did it a couple months ago and probably won't ever do it again. It's beyond a mf'er of a project.