Removing and installing starter - vehicles with 2.0 ltr. TDI engine and dual clutch gearbox — AUDI
Removing and installing starter - vehicles with 2.0 ltr. TDI engine and dual clutch gearbox on Audi: 8 steps.
Here the starter is removed from Audis on the 8U platform (Q3 2011–2018) and the 84 code listed with it, fitted with the TDI diesel and dual clutch gearbox. Unlike many transverse installs, the starter on this combination comes out from above, so there is no need to raise the car. The air cleaner housing and battery tray have to come off first to open a view down to the starter. After that it is a short job: unplug the starter connector, take the cap off and remove the main feed nut, then remove the two mounting bolts. The only real catch is the connector lock, which has to be slid back before the release catch will let go, and making sure the main feed is isolated before you touch it.
🧭 Before you start
Remove the air cleaner housing and the battery tray to get access from above. Slide the connector lock rearwards and press the release catch to unplug it, press off the cap and unscrew the terminal 30/B+ wire. Remove bolts 1 and 2 and lift the starter out upwards. Installation is the reverse, finishing with the battery tray and air cleaner housing.
Fits: Audi Q3 (8U, 2011–2018); platform code 84
Don't miss
- Isolate the battery before undoing the terminal 30/B+ feed; it is live at all times.
- Slide the connector locking element rearwards before pressing the release catch, or the plug housing can break.
- The starter lifts out upwards once bolts 1 and 2 are out; no work from underneath is needed.
- Refit the protective cap over the main feed terminal before the battery tray goes back in.
Written for this job from the workshop steps below · TorqFix editorial.
📋 Procedure
- Remove air cleaner housing 23Air cleaner; Removing and installing air cleaner housing.
- Remove battery tray .
- Unplug connector (4) by sliding locking element to rear and pressing down release catch.
- Press off cap (5).
- Unscrew wire for terminal 30/B+ (6) from alternator.
- Unscrew bolts (1, 2) and detach starter upwards.
- Install battery tray .
- Install air cleaner housing 23Air cleaner; Removing and installing air cleaner housing.
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Who makes these pages, and how
TorqFix was built by a mechanic — after a 2,700 km drive with five roadside repairs that no diagnostic tool could explain.
The figures on this page come from manufacturer workshop documentation and are shown as they are. The page is assembled automatically from that data — it is not written by an AI. The AI works in the chat, where it answers for your specific car. It writes nothing here.
Variants of the same model differ. Cross-check torque against the factory manual for your engine before final tightening.
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The story behind TorqFix →Workshop data on this page last updated 20 Sep 2026.