My 2008 just rolled 125k miles and is rocking the original starter. It works fine so far. I have a new OEM starter and all the parts required to replace it on the shelf. Do I keep using it as is or would you change it out now.
2008 with original starter and 125k miles - replace or not
- Thread starter tominboise
- Start date
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gaijin
GOLD Star
Since it has concerned you enough already to purchase all the required replacement parts, and ask for opinions here on IH8MUD... If for no other reason than your own peace of mind, I'd go ahead and replace it now - one less thing to worry about going forward.
HTH
As someone once said: "Either work on it when you want to , or you'll work on it when you have to."
Love me a 3 or 4-day holiday weekend to get stuff done at my pace.
Love me a 3 or 4-day holiday weekend to get stuff done at my pace.
That's a great way to put it. The worst thing about this is there is often zero indication prior to failure.
I guess I should try to replace mine before LCDC. 136K miles and increasing.
Reading through the forum it looks like it affects vehicles that were water waders. Not sure how true that is though.
Not really a correlation there. Lots of normal daily drivers have had them fail too. The starter hangs off the exhaust manifold and is constantly heat cycled.
bloc
SILVER Star
Not only that, typically the actual failure is of the copper contacts within the solenoid, and this has been a well-known Toyota glitch for decades on many different models.
I agree, not much correlation.
I agree, not much correlation.
Is it as hefty of a job on the 3UR as on the 2UZs?
This question/debate seems to come up frequently and understandaby so as:
- It's a pretty substantial job - 8hrs + book time which = lots of time even for DIY
- Somewhere in the ballpark of $1500+ to have it done somewhere. So not cheap preventative maintenance (due to labor)
- Isn't solely based on mileage. In all the threads I see some don't fail until well past 200K miles
- No real warning that it's going out. I've heard that you may get a couple starts out of one after it shows signs of going bad. But could some of the symptoms of "going bad" be similar to that of a dead battery? By the time you figure it out you've wasted your couple of starts!
I’d say it’s worse.
I also don’t think a new starter has any lower chance of failing than a working original with 125k miles… I’ve spent a ton of time on the Tundras.com forum and there is almost no discussion about starters going bad.
On the Tundra 3urfe, the engine mounts can be loosened and the engine jacked up an inch or so. This provides enough room to replace the starter without the need to remove the manifold/exhaust. Has anyone used this method on the 200 series? Wondering if it might help with access or if the manifolds/exhaust are still in the way...
Full disclosure I've never replaced the starter on my LX, but I'm sure I'll get there one day.
Full disclosure I've never replaced the starter on my LX, but I'm sure I'll get there one day.
I’d say it’s PM on any truck with 15 years or 200k miles.
Mine failed without warning. I lost the lottery (50% of starts are in the driveway), and was 20 miles from home in a strip mall parking lot. After confirming it was a starter was lucky that an independent shop was right down the street and we could push it there.
They wouldn’t use my nib starter I had sitting at home, store policy on consumer provided parts, that’s still for sale.
Mine failed without warning. I lost the lottery (50% of starts are in the driveway), and was 20 miles from home in a strip mall parking lot. After confirming it was a starter was lucky that an independent shop was right down the street and we could push it there.
They wouldn’t use my nib starter I had sitting at home, store policy on consumer provided parts, that’s still for sale.
32cls6speedmt
SILVER Star
The quotes that I have received have been has 3.5 hours of labor. The number of labor hours are from various independent Toyota mechanics.
Yeah, that was my labor quote, or something like that. Job was $1200 iirc with the manifold gasket kit, starter, labor and local taxes.
bloc
SILVER Star
Jacking the engine up might work on a 200.. but you'll still have to deal with the heat shield bolts that are nearly impossible to get to without mangling said heat shields. Personally after looking around under mine even if I could get the starter out of the wheel well I still wouldn't have done it, as there wasn't a way to get the shields and bolts all back in original condition.
the starter motor rarely goes bad, it's usually the contactor, and that can be replaced more cheaply than the whole unit. But while you're in there..
At issue is IIRC @bjowett posted that the originally installed unit is larger than even Genuine Toyota replacements these days. Whether larger is better? Maybe another discussion.
the starter motor rarely goes bad, it's usually the contactor, and that can be replaced more cheaply than the whole unit. But while you're in there..
At issue is IIRC @bjowett posted that the originally installed unit is larger than even Genuine Toyota replacements these days. Whether larger is better? Maybe another discussion.
I second this. 2008 changed original starter at about 250k. I’m never far from home. I’d change it for peace of mind. Keep the original starter.
keep and r&r the solenoid.
