1995 Camry Four: Bad Starter?

HOUSEMATE??!!!! Is that what they call "shack-ups" these days?

Get the battery tested, its free most anywhere.

I had a 1989 corolla with the same problem only worse. After 3 batteries and 5 starters and different switches and new cables the damn thing would still refuse to start when the temp was lower than 20 degrees. Triple A man showed me how to leave the car in neutral key in the on position with parking brake on and jump two connections on the starter. Car would then start right up. Battery good, cables good and starter good. Car went down the road to my daughter for a few years. Left a small jumper wire in the glove box and made sure she new how to use it. Car is gone now and never did find the real cause. Gave the Master Tech white hair trying to figure it out and cost me lots of money. Good luck on finding whats wrong.

Smart a** replay but no real help.

Battery testing wouldn't show an intermittent short or open, unless it happened while the test was being performed.

Of course, the first thing to do is to clean the battery terminals, cable terminals, ground connections, etc. Whether this buys you any relief or not, it is quick and simple and makes sure you start your troubleshooting with that out of the way.

Have you ever heard of a "dragging" starter? That happens when the bushings are worn and wont keep the rotor centered. It always happened to me worse when the weather was cold. It acts for all the world like a discharged battery. Sometimes the starter will work fine, and other times it wont do anything. They can be frustratingly intermittent. An "iffy" starter solenoid can do much the same. So will internal contact points that are past their prime.

The cure is to take the starter into a good starter/alternator shop and let them have a look at it. They can check out the starter, replace bushings, repair solenoids, and replace the contacts if needed. I would much prefer to have a good starter shop look at my starter than to buy a rebuild starter of a FLAPS shelf.

Last, yes, a battery problem is possible. A simple test is to turn on your headlights when you have this starting problem. If your headlights come on brightly, and your attempts to start the car dont dim the lights significantly, then the battery is probably not the issue.

I dont think I have ever had a starter switch (portion of the ignition switch) go bad, but that is also a possibility. I HAVE had an ignition switch (run function) go intermittently bad, and that is a real PITA.

This may be your problem:

Maybe, but my car groans as well as clicks - as if the starter is turning very slowly. I think the previous poster may be right about worn bushings. Thanks for the link, though!

I'm inclined to agree with you on the symptoms. It was hard to tell with the lights, as they had some road dirt on them, but the starter eventually cranking at normal speeds would seem to preclude a genuinely low battery...

You should have your battery checked and make sure all the connections between the battery and starter are in good condition.

It all this is good, then it is likely your starter is bad. Probably it is just the solenoid that is bad (the smaller can on top of the atarter assembly), and likely just the contacts in the solenoid ($0.50 parts). If you are mechanically inclined you can disassemble the solenoid and replace the contacts (been there done that). If you aren't comfortable going this far, then a rebuilt starter will likely fix the problem.

Ed

The first think you always do it test battery and clean battery and Cable terminals, or you are doing it backwards. A starter draw teest can be done but battery is 1st

Starters can be intermittent like this. If you still have an automotive electric shop in your area then bring them the starter to replace the necessary components. Don't buy a "lifetime warranty" starter from an auto parts store.

After 15 years it may be time for a new starter, even on a 1992-1996 generation Camry which was the best generation in terms of reliability (other than the idle air control valve).

I always find it funny (and semi-unbelieveable) when I read stuff like this. My neighbor had a mid-90's Camry. What a POS. If you can get by how uncomfrtable and noisy it was, and only focus on the quality, then it was still a POS. The paint literally fell off of it. It smoked every time he started it up. It was in the shop two or three times a year for something or other. The AC cost a fortune to fix. Oh yeah - what a feeling. I know there arer probably many many people who owned simialr Camry's that were completely satisfied and can tell stories of how great they are....but, just like every other manufacturer, Toyota has turned out some real crap. MY SO brother is one of those Camry lovers who will swear by them. His parents gave him there mid 90's Camry with 100,000+ miles. Except for the fading paint and the crumbling interior it is OK for him - cramped, nosiy, and uncomfortable, but reliable. It only smokes a little, and he doesn't see that as a problem. He is prefectly willing to drive it any where, any time and does so frequently. I have not heard him complain about anything (but then he didn't complain about his prior Pontiac GP with

Ed