Starter issue 91 Tercel

============== If you buy a Toyota remanufactured starter it will last years instead of months. Long ago I got tired of replacing "lifetime warranty" aftermarket starters and alternators. After three replacements on my Toyota truck, I bought the Toyota starter, no problems since - lost track - something like ten years ago.

I agree, the quality and durability of aftermarket starters is a lot more spotty than Toyota remanufactured starters.

What is going on with the starter? If it doesn't engage, I'd bet that it is aftermarket. If it is making clashing sounds, then check the condition of the teeth on the flywheel/flex plate.

make sure all the wires to the starter/battery/ign switch relay are all good. THAT might be the real problem, easily masked by tossing a new starter in until corrosion/resistance build up again.

i learned that lesson on an 81 VW rabbit i had... the wiring sucked.

another lesson i learned is to avoid the discount places, like pepboys, kragen, trak, autozone. either NAPA, your local dealer, or an online toyota dealer.

theres a reason those things have "lifetime" warranties.

One night, I saw three people at AutoZone returning lifetime-warranted alternators, and I heard two of them say that theirs failed in 3 weeks and 6 weeks. When I needed a starter, the dealer and NAPA wanted only $30 more for a rebuilt than the discount chains did..

ive got a NAPA near me. they have at least 10 delivery trucks in their fleet, and i always see em delivering stuff to garages.

mechanics HATE having to do stuff over because of a bad part, which is why i never see any "real" mechanics at autozone, etc.