hi I have a V6 2000 toyota camry. Yesterday the car would not crank at all. It would click and that's it. I managed to get a jump and took it in to have its battery replaced. The battery terminals are not corroded as they have been always treated. However this morning it would not crank again. It clicked each time the key was turned and cranked on the fourth. Now i am suspecting that the issue is with the starter. Can someone please tell me where the started is located and the procedures to replace it just in case. Any pictures or a link will also be very helpful thanks
The starter is very easy to find. Follow the large positive cable from the battery. It may go through a junction box, but the largest cable under the hood is routed to the starter. The starter will be bolted to the engine bell housing. According to the AutoZone repair guide you will need to remove the battery and possibly the cruise control actuator to get to the starter. To see for yourself, you need to go to AutoZone.Com and register. You can also read about it at:
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There is a good chance that the terminals in the starter solenoid (the small cylinder bolted to the starter) have eroded away, leading to connection problems. For some reason Toyota seems particularly prone to this.
On Oct 20, 8:20=A0pm, "C. E. White" wrote: Related problem on 1989 Celica. This car would do the same thing esp. if the weather turned cold, I spent many dollars on it. Replaced battery, terminals starter, cables and switches to no avail. The AAA guy showed me how to jump the starter with a wire. Doing this I could at least get home. The car went to my daughter in-law along with the wire to jump it. The car is now being recycled and I still do not know why it did this. Starter was replaced 5 times by me and the last was paid for by the Toyota dealer. The master mechanic was left scratching his head. I know this does not help but just my .02. If you want I think I remember how to jump the starter so if you want I can let you know how. Norm
They put a test set to the battery and ran a test and then had me start the car. After that they told me that the starter was good.
No, i have not determine what the problem is. It is my wife car- the issue she described happened to me just once (just a click when you turn the key) after that i had the battery replaced as it was 4 year old. The battery did test out to have less cold cranking amps. Since the battery was replaced I have not experienced the issue whenever i have started it. However my wife claims it has happened the very next day after the battery was replaced. Will keep you posted thanks
I had the same issue a couple years back. The starter was fine, but it was the contacts in the solenoid that were causing the issue. Took it to a back yard mechanic and had it rebuilt for under a 100 bucks. No problems since.
Sounds like erroded contacts in the solenoid. It won't get better over time. The contacts are replaceable - if you can find someone who has them (maybe the dealer, more likely a local auto electric company).
There is the story of the woman who was unlucky in love, and divorced several husbands for failure to perform. She found happiness, finally, with a "shadetree mechanic", because he tore it up the first night and has been working on it ever since.
K thanks all for the responses. Since we are still having this issue I have decided to go ahead and replace the starter contacts as well as the solenoid plunger. I have the following questions
Are these parts usually keep in stock at the dealership or do they have to be ordered?
On the Autozone website- I was reading thru the part (step 3) of the removing the cruise actuator and looked at my 00 V6 Camry and the actuator does not look like the one in the picture. I don't have the three bolts. Also so i don't damage anything in haste. How do i pop the cover?
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Now on to the actual starter- I understand that i need to uncoverthe rubber boot on the end facing the outward and unscrew the negativeterminal. Question is on the other end the inward facing positive - Idon't have much room - how do i get that off? Should i unscrew thestarter and turn it over? Also how is the positive wire connected -do i need to pull it out or is there a lever to pop etc etc Thanks all
I wouldnt go to a dealership. Dealerships often replace entire units, not fix the faulty ones.. And their prices can be sky high.
Take the starter off and take it to a good local starter and alternator shop. They should have all the parts necessary to replace the contacts and anything else they may find wrong. Let them do the internal work on the solenoid and starter.
That cover looks like it is held over the actuator by some spring tabs. It is impossible to tell from the photo, but this type of thing will ordinarily disengage by depressing the spring tab to unlock it from a slot or similar. Just go slowly and dont get physical with it. Once you get that cover off, you should see if you have three bolts hidden under it, or some other variant.
Sometimes you DONT have much room in there. Remove the negative battery cable first and dress it out of the way. Then remove the starter bolts and turn it however you need to to access any other electrical connections.
"The book" seldom gives you all the steps you need to follow to do something like this. It is normal. But you should be able to observe what is holding you up, and to go slowly and carefully to work out of the problem.
A couple of years ago I spent two days getting the evaporatore core out of my van. "The book" didnt tell about the hidden screws, etc etc. I put the sucker back together in just a couple of hours.
Expect a few scrapes and bruises. If you get frustrated, dont fight it. Sit down, have a soft drink, and think about it.
Are you sure it's the starter that's at fault, maybe the battery is flat again. Get a jump or recharge the battery, if it starts then you know the battery was flat.
If the battery was flat again and the battery is new then the likely culprit is the alternator, faulty diodes will drain the battery flat overnight.
Have alternator tested. Replace if faulty, you will need to recharge the battery again.
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