signs of a starter going bad

[Kroze]

is this a sign that it's time for me to get a new starter?

everytime i want to start the car, i have to sit there and try for at least 5 minutes before it even crank.


When i turn the key to "start" position, all i hear is a click and then silence. The engine won't even turn.

If i sit there and keep on doing it long enough, it will eventually start.

My charging system is fine. Idle @ 14.4 volts & battery reads 12.4 volts non-running.

 

[Squid699]

Manual or auto? check your electrical interlock system (clutch switch on manual, not sure what it is on an auto) and then move your way up. Could be that or the starter solenoid.

 

[Kroze]

it's a manual. i also have the clutch override switch hook up so that i don't have to push the clutch in to start it.

what's a starter solenoid & where is it located?

 

[Idealsupra]

it's a manual. i also have the clutch override switch hook up so that i don't have to push the clutch in to start it.

what's a starter solenoid & where is it located?

yeah i can promise its your starter.... you need to pull the starter and you can get a rebuild kit for like 10 bucks from toyota... and you basically replace the contact points that have worn out and slipped away from the brush.

easy to do cheap to fix.... then no more problems...

its a common problem with 7m starters...especially the older style ones...

 

[Johnny Dangerously]

yeah i can promise its your starter.... you need to pull the starter and you can get a rebuild kit for like 10 bucks from toyota... and you basically replace the contact points that have worn out and slipped away from the brush.

easy to do cheap to fix.... then no more problems...

its a common problem with 7m starters...especially the older style ones...

werd.....symptoms definatley indicate a bad starter..soon youll have to push start it

have fun installing a new one...last time i did a starter job with the engine/tranny in the car was like 3-4 years ago when i first learned automotive basics..man it was a pain in the ass.

 

[doom26464]

it's a manual. i also have the clutch override switch hook up so that i don't have to push the clutch in to start it.

what's a starter solenoid & where is it located?

clutch override switch???? i didn't know u had to push the clutch in to start it I just turn the key and it starts. unlesss the previous owner put that in but he did alot of messed up things tooo it.

 

[Squid699]

yeah there should be a clutch interlock switch to prevent it from starting without the clutch being depressed.

 

[Johnny Dangerously]

its called the neutral safety switch, gentlemen.

 

[Idealsupra]

its called the neutral safety switch, gentlemen.

yeah and if you upgrade your clutch to a heavier one it should be disabled to prevent crankwalk...

however i have yet to do it

 

[Kroze]

werd.....symptoms definatley indicate a bad starter..soon youll have to push start it

have fun installing a new one...last time i did a starter job with the engine/tranny in the car was like 3-4 years ago when i first learned automotive basics..man it was a pain in the ass.

ugh. i've pushed start my car twice in the last 2 days now. is that a sign i need a new starter?



anyway, i bought a starter from autozone for $70.

Should i keep it or is it easy to rebuild a starter for $10 and save myself $60?

 

[Idealsupra]

ugh. i've pushed start my car twice in the last 2 days now. is that a sign i need a new starter?



anyway, i bought a starter from autozone for $70.

Should i keep it or is it easy to rebuild a starter for $10 and save myself $60?

if you can pull the starter you can rebuild a starter...however to be honest i know someone who had problems even after he used the rebuild kit...so if you have the extra 60 bucks to drop might as well go with the basically brand new one...

 

[souprat]

the starter solinoid is on the passenger side, where your right foot would be if you were sitting in the seat. take off some of those plastic panels and its the green box thing, pretty shure it says "starter solinoid" on it. it's alot cheaper to test that than it is to replace the starter. if it's bad then this will cost you little$$, if its good then oh well, replace the starter.

 

[flubyux2]

its not the solenoid. the 7M starters are problematic in their old age. i had a problem on my car like that. at first, i thought it was a dead battery. same symptoms. so i left it jumpered to my other car for half an hour, trying to charge the battery. i came back, no luck. determined it was the starter, not the battery, cables or alarm.

just replace the starter. i guarantee you that its your problem.

 

[Bigdough666]

Mine does the same thing. I had it tested and I was told it is A-OK. So wtf? Solenoid? Or do I still need a new one?

 

[Twigger]

yeah and if you upgrade your clutch to a heavier one it should be disabled to prevent crankwalk...

however i have yet to do it

How does that work?

 

[Johnny Dangerously]

How does that work?

its for unsprung heavy duty clutches. by pressing the clutch and starting the car on an unsprung clutch, youre putting stress on the thrust washers which can be an end result to crankwalk.

if you disable the neutral safety switch...that problem will go away.

 

[Anh]

Here's all I know about the Supra's starting issue...

It's not always the starter. The engine gets hot, it heats all the cabling in the car and raises the resistance which usually hampers the amount of voltage delivered to the starter.

First you need to check that all the ground straps are in good condition. Run a voltmeter through the ones you can easily access, especially the strap attached to the rear engine hook and the firewall, the resistance shouldn't be higher than 1 ohm.

The starter usually suffers from slightly sticky solenoid plunger, there is a grease build up inside the starter that causes this. A simple test to find out that this is the case is when the starter doesnt energise, you can make a few taps against the body of the starter with a long stick and getting a volunteer to start the car for you. Nevertheless if your electrical system is good enough, it can still apply enough voltage it is enough to move a sticky solenoid and it will still close the circuit even with worn copper contacts.

If it is the starter causing all this grief, it's easier to remove it from above the car rather than laying underneath it.

Hope that helps..

 

[flubyux2]

if you have the EGR shit removed, its EASY to get at the starter and tap on it.

my problem is when the car is COLD, not hot. it starts consistantly and reliably when its hot.

i did take a starter to autozone and they tested it and verified that it was in good shape. they tested it over and over and over and it engaged successfully every time. but, if the battery is old and has a "memory" or low capacity, its possible that it simply doesnt have the cranking amps to jump a slight air gap that is created when contacts are worn away.

you can quickly tell the difference between a bad starter bendix or starter relay. if you still have the saftey switch intact, turn the key w the pedal up. your car will die and youll hear the relay click inside. the relay obviously works as it should. now if you push in the clutch and get a Louder more metallic click, then your bendix is obviously working and the plunger is extending but its not making contact to provide continuity and pass current to the starter motor windings itself... these are the contacts on the plunger that are notorious for failure and the #1 cause for a non-starting MK3... not a dead battery or shoddy cable.

theres been a ton of people who replace Every single item in their starting circuit to find out that the starter was the culprit the entire time.

 

[Anh]

It's always good to check the non-starter components first, i.e battery, ground and terminals the problem could be just there, much like how it was with my car. This would save someone the bother of having to take the starter out, which isnt an easy job.

I had my old starter out, assuming that it suffered worn contacts, it did have wear, about 1 mm deep on both contacts. I replaced with another starter with brand new contacts, the starting problem was still there - when the car is hot. The problem wasnt solved untill a replaced the battery and repaired a half frayed ground strap that had 50 ohm resistance.

So there you have it, an example that it's not always the starter, even though the copper contact wear is a common problem.

 

[Kroze]

i just replaced the starter with a new one from autozone. problem fixed.