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Car Forum / Toyota / Toyota Cars / May 2008Got a bad starting problem with my 1985 Tercel wagon
For quite a while I would hit the old starter with a rubber hammer to get it to stop CLICKing, instead of starting. When that stopped working so well, I had a new starter installed. It was fine for a week, and then intermittently started CLICKing when I tried to start the car. I next installed a brand new Die Hard Gold battery, which is a giant overkill of that car's needs: Now it's CLICKing again anyway... Every once in a while it clicks, and today, in weather over 95 degrees, it took me ten minutes to get it to work, hitting it with a rubber hammer and pouring cold water over it. Then later today it took 20 minutes to get the thing to start. What is going on? There are those wires leading up to the battery, alternator, and the starter, which have what look like fuses in plastic cases. Could that be a place to start? What does it require to start a car besides a battery and a starter? ---firefly There are two copper contacts that conduct battery current to the motor through the plunger solenoid. These wear out with time and should be replace around 100-120K miles depending how many start cycles. When you hear a loud click and, because of wear, no current flows these are it. See: http://www.team-integra.net/forum/display_topic_threads.asp?ForumID=15&TopicID=123037 http://www.4x4wire.com/toyota/maintenance/starter/ > For quite a while I would hit the old starter with a rubber hammer to get it > to stop CLICKing, instead of starting. [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > > ---firefly > There are two copper contacts that conduct battery current to the > motor through the plunger solenoid. These wear out with time and [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > http://www.4x4wire.com/toyota/maintenance/starter/ I tested the horn and it was way down low. This seems to point to the alternator after all: I previously tested that by removing the negative on the battery when the engine was running, and it kept running. I also tested the alternator by shining the lights at a wall and revving the engine, noticing no change in the intensity of the light. When I got an instant start with a jump, I realize it must be the alternator after all. Am I right? ---firefly Quiet horn -- Low current form the battery? Battery and alternator brush assemblies are periodic maintenance items. The brushes ($20) wear out typically around 120K miles. The battery I just replace every 5-6 years no questions asked. Walmart has excellent ones made by Johnson Controls (~$45). A weak battery strains and wears out the altrnator and vise versa. If the car keeps running AFTER starting, then your alternator is providing enough current and most likely still good. So how old is the battery? I wouldn't ignore the starter contacts either, especially if you can start after repeated clicking. > I tested the horn and it was way down low. > [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > ---firefly Oh BTW about low horn, the battery could be low because of repeated cranking. The alternator really isn't meant to charge a completely low battery. This puts a lot of strain on it and it will run very hot. Best to get a battery charger (Black and Decker or Schumacher) high frequency charger 2/4/6 amps around $30. > I tested the horn and it was way down low. > [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > ---firefly >> There are two copper contacts that conduct battery current to the >> motor through the plunger solenoid. These wear out with time and [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] > > ---firefly The proper way to test the vehicle's charging and starting system is with an ammeter, voltmeter, and load tester. There are places that will check this stuff for little or no cost, usually much less than the cost of a hit-or-miss parts replacement.  SignatureRay O (correct punctuation to reply) Ray is right. Should have also mentioned that Autozone, your local NAPA store and others will test many models of alternators, starters and batteries. > The proper way to test the vehicle's charging and starting system is with an > ammeter, voltmeter, and load tester. There are places that will check this [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > Ray O > (correct punctuation to reply) BTW, get the right kits for your particular starter. > For quite a while I would hit the old starter with a rubber hammer to get it > to stop CLICKing, instead of starting. [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > > ---firefly |
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