Strange thing this morning. When trying to start my car all I heard was a clicking sound, and the motor did not crank. After several attempts it started. This seems to occur often now and I'm afraid it will not turn over and start. The battery is strong. Any thoughts on the problem?
your starter is starting to go out. same thing happened to my 97 corolla a year back. after replacing the battery it did the same thing. then had the starter replaced at a local garage. no more problem for over a year now. the toyota dealer wanted 450.00 to replace the starter . got it done at a local garage for 200.00 good luck
How do you know the battery is strong, did you ever clean the terminals, load test it, did you know a battery with 12v is only 10% charged.
Two weeks ago I cleaned the terminals. In regards to the battery test, my methods were crude. Turned on all the lights and beeped the horn. Once the I get by the clicking noise and the started does engage, it turns the motor over rapidly.
I dont know how "its a classic new starter situation" new ones dont do that and OP did not replace starter. Lights take 1/10 the power a starter needs, my lghts lit but it would not start, battery was weak. Get it load tested, its free at service stations and auto stores. If battery is over 4 yrs old, bet on battery, you did clean the cable terminals as well as battery terminals you said
Well, it's always good to check the battery, connection, wiring, everything upstream especially the relay before assuming it's the starter. The relay is another prime suspect.
You should measure the voltage drop while cranking. You should not have a drop < 8.5 volts w/ auto or 8 volts w/ manual. Then check the current draw is between 250-400 amps. These tests should fail if the starter has gone south.
My '96 Tacoma was doing the same thing. Put in a new starter, and the problem is gone.
Sounds like it could be the contacts in the solenoid. Some good info here....
Without knowing the simplist of things such as battery , and cable conditions a new starter may not be necessary, it could be simply bad connection to the starter.
I am having the same problem on my 1999 Camry LE 4 cyl. I installed a brand new battery and terminals only to have the problem persist. The starter is looking like a good bet. It is getting worse, and the pars guy at Toyota said that the main contacts inthe starter are probably burned, but that Toyota no longer sells the individual parts: you have to buy the complete starter. Toyota wants $350 for a rebuilt, though! ouch. Any tricks to getting the starter out?
MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.