Bad starter? (1 Viewer)

[ekolpack]

'08 TLC w 125k. Started getting intermittent push, click, no crank, no start a few months ago. Usually if I kept pushing start, it'd fire right up after 3-4 tries and run perfectly. It's slowly gotten worse, to where now, I need to press start 10-12 times usually to start it up, and sometimes it will crank for 4-5 seconds before it starts, sometimes it cranks but doesn't start at all.

I'd assume starter is starting to go bad, but the start solenoid clicks every time, and the times it cranks, it sounds very strong, cranks hard, no weird noises.

Checked codes, when this happens I'm consistently getting a P0335 code for Crankshaft Position Sensor....but when it starts, it runs perfectly fine. Never had a single hiccup, even on long trips. So if it were the CPS, it'd be causing problems while running too, right?

Battery tests good (carbon pile load tester), contacts are good, it's only about a year old.

There's a Compustar remote start that taps into the CAN bus. I had Best Buy check this out, they said their installation is good and it doesn't interrupt or effect the OEM starting system at all, it just taps into the CAN hi/lo bus to send it's own start signal.

Anything else I should be looking at before I replace the starter? A Crankshaft sensor is cheap ($60) so maybe it's worth a shot, but since it runs perfectly fine when it does start, I think I'm just wasting time and money there. What say you hivemind? Thanks!

 

[bloc]

I'd say it sounds exactly like a usual toyota starter failure except on 200s they typically don't last as long as yours has after they start having problems.

What actually fails in them is the copper contacts within the start solenoid. They erode from the arcing, and if this happens more to one than the other, the plunger doesn't contact both resulting in click no start. But if you keep hammering it sometimes it'll eventually work.

I do seem to remember bad starters throwing a crank sensor code.. the ECU expects to see a crank sensor signal after the starter engages, and it isn't seeing that..

Sorry for the bad news. Our starters are a pain in the ass.

 

[ekolpack]

I'd say it sounds exactly like a usual toyota starter failure except on 200s they typically don't last as long as yours has after they start having problems.

What actually fails in them is the copper contacts within the start solenoid. They erode from the arcing, and if this happens more to one than the other, the plunger doesn't contact both resulting in click no start. But if you keep hammering it sometimes it'll eventually work.

I do seem to remember bad starters throwing a crank sensor code.. the ECU expects to see a crank sensor signal after the starter engages, and it isn't seeing that..

Sorry for the bad news. Our starters are a pain in the ass.

Ugh, yeah I was hoping it wasn't that, but all signs are pointing there. I've seen some videos online showing how to change the starter on a Tundra. Involves removing the tire, oil dips tick, and a heat shield on the passenger side, then pulling it through a tiny little narrow gap. Does this work on the TLC too? It's the same frame, right?

Also, if these starters are problematic, should I still buy a Denso, or better to go with some kind of aftermarket one? Thanks!

 

[ekolpack]

Ugh, yeah I was hoping it wasn't that, but all signs are pointing there. I've seen some videos online showing how to change the starter on a Tundra. Involves removing the tire, oil dips tick, and a heat shield on the passenger side, then pulling it through a tiny little narrow gap. Does this work on the TLC too? It's the same frame, right?

Also, if these starters are problematic, should I still buy a Denso, or better to go with some kind of aftermarket one? Thanks!

Well this answers the second question

Another starter thread

Well i guess i can report after ruling out other possibilities starter is dead and my mechanic confirmed it... 2010 LX 128K. Since we all know this is a common failure on the 200 series between 120-150k I was just thinking why would i go for OEM starter if it only lasted 128k. Would it be a...

forum.ih8mud.com

Best of both worlds! A different starter, that is also the OEM starter! I guess Toyota thought it was enough of an issue that they made a new version. And it's smaller, which should be much easier going back in!

 

[ekolpack]

Ugh, yeah I was hoping it wasn't that, but all signs are pointing there. I've seen some videos online showing how to change the starter on a Tundra. Involves removing the tire, oil dips tick, and a heat shield on the passenger side, then pulling it through a tiny little narrow gap. Does this work on the TLC too? It's the same frame, right?

Also, if these starters are problematic, should I still buy a Denso, or better to go with some kind of aftermarket one? Thanks!

Looks like that thread also answers the first question, same process as on the Tundra (for which there are plenty of videos on YouTube). The seeming best one suggests removing the solenoid first to make it easier to pull out.

Everyone says that third heatshield mounting bolt is a giant bitch. I'll see if I can't find a way around that. I'll probably take a video of the process since nobody has one specifically for the 200 Series Croooooozah.

 

[bloc]

One look at that bolt and I decided to just pull the manifold. Which then led to downpipe stud galling, manifold cracking, etc.

And still, knowing I'd have to deal with that bolt and the heat shield never being the same again, personally I'd just pull the manifold. But, I don't have any rust.. that could really change the calculus.