I have a 2003 Mercedes C230 Kompressor. It's a 6 speed manual which is why i've been able to make due with what's going on. The issue is that the car occasionally will not start. Sometimes it would start fine in the morning and i'd drive it for a quarter mile, stop to grab a coffee and it refuses to start up afterwards.

Anyway, I took it to the local dealer after a trying to figure it out and having numerous mechanics tell me mixed feelings between the battery (which is extremely new anyway) and the alternator. The mechanic at the dealer, after paying their diagnosis fee told me that the starter needs to be replaced. He checked both the battery and alternator and said they're perfectly fine. After I found out they wanted over $700 to install a remanufactured starter when I can buy one for a couple hundred dollars I decided i'd check into doing it myself.

I started looking around this morning. I put the car up on ramps, pulled the skid plates off the bottom to get a clean look at the engine and I can't seem to locate the starter. If anyone has any experience or preferably pictures, please help asap. Any tips if you've changed it before would also be very helpful.

Thanks,
Toby