How many miles until your original alternator and/or starter failed?

[octanejunkie]

Saw this in the 4th gen section, seemed like a good idea
https://www.toyota-4runner.org/4th-...al-alternator-starter-failed.html#post2875451

And what did you replace it with? New or rebuilt OEM, or some other brand?

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[brillo_76]

My experience is the alt brushes will last 180k to 250k as an average. Most likely it depends on the environment and conditions it's in.

Best to always use remfg densos or rebuild them yourself.


For whatever the reason, the aftermarket mostly won't stay together and seem to fail very quickly.

The same issue seems to apply to the alternator as well.

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[cl4Rk]

My original starter failed at 208k miles. Replaced with remanufactured Denso. Replaced the starter relay as well. When it died I had to rush to disconnect the battery to prevent a fire! The starter continued to click even with no key in the ignition, and I disconnected the battery as it had just started smoking and smelling.

Original alternator, never rebuilt, so far 212k miles. Hopefully soon I will upgrade to the Vitara alternator, and keep/rebuild my original as a spare.

 

[19963.4lsr5]

97 limited Alt 120k miles. Rectifier failed. While it was apart I put a new diode block and brushes.

96 SR5 Alt with 230k miles brushes. Replaced with OEM brushes that failed 60k later. They were worn to nubs.

97 SR5 came with a CarQuest reman. Milage on it unknown. Put it in the 97 Limited while I was chasing down a diode block. Eventually those brushes wore out and I replaced them with OEM.

So I did have one Alt with replacement brushes fail again. I’ll admit the commutator wasn’t the best looking.

Both the 97’s and the 96 starters had their brushed replaced.

The 97 SR5 had the starter fail right after I but the rebuilt engine in with 260k miles on it.


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[Devbot]

Starter didn't start dying until around 290k - but when it finally started it went out in a hurry. Replaced it with one from DB Electrical and haven't had a single issue in the past 15k miles since
I'm 90% certain I'm still with my OEM alternator. PO was pretty good at listing the work he did to the vehicle, but made no mention of the alt being replaced and it still appears to be original. However 300k is a LOT for an alt and it's possible it was replaced ages ago with an OEM unit and he forgot

 

[mtbtim]

A high percentage of the time, an OEM starter and alternator can be brought back to life pretty easily and very affordably. Starter failures are quite often a result of worn out solenoid contacts and plunger. Alternators charging sub-par are quite often due to worn out brushes.

Here's two videos to save you some money by breathing new life into your high quality OEM Denso starter and alternator. In the starter video, I used OEM parts which are pretty pricey. We link a much more affordable kit in the video description.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WV1t5-wcoOI" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>


<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/71_kBhg6_-A" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[RS Dude]

My original alt lasted until about 320k miles. Replaced with low mileage oem from junkyard.

 

[MountainBiker]

Starter 2000 T4R 3.4L
Starter solenoid started acting up at 201k miles. I replaced the contacts per Timmy's video, thanks Tim!! I'm not the original owner, but the starter and contacts looked original.

Starter 2002 Taco 2.4L
Starter contacts failed at 232k for the first time (I'm the original owner). I found a very inexpensive reman Denso starter on RockAuto, so I installed that. ~13 months later (just out of warranty) the contacts were failing. When I opened up the reman starter, the contacts were quite worn, so i think RockAuto shipped the starter with old contacts! Replaced the contacts with OEM contacts and plunger (I should've done this with the original starter!)

Alternators on T4R and Taco are okay so far
T4R=223k, Taco=245k so I'll be replacing the alternator brushes on both of them prophylactically within a few months.

 

[Unner]

OEM starter failed around 135k according to the PO. They replaced with a cheap Chinese one that failed around 240k. It failed due to moisture getting in and corrosion. Not the normal copper contact wear. I put a denso unit in at that time.

The OEM alternator failed at 170k. I stupidly put an advance auto lifetime warranty one in and sent the denso in as a core. The "lifetime warranty" one failed at 206k. I put another "lifetime warranty" one in and it failed at 219k. At that point the manager at advance was nice enough to give me a credit for the lifetime one towards a denso one. The denso is still going strong at 291k now.

Moral of the story. Only put denso/Toyota parts in these rigs when it comes to starters and alternators. Better yet rebuild them yourself like Tim showed above. They're critical parts that fail fast when they do and will leave you stranded.

The cheap Chinese starter nearly left me stranded in death valley. I started noticing issues there with it not turning over the first time or two. Then once in Beatty, NV filling up with gas it refused to start. I finally got it to start and didn't shut it off but 3 more times for the rest of the trip home from DV to Alabama. Not the safest thing, but it got me home. The next morning it would not start at all. The starter had died completely...

 

[pluton]

[What I assume was the OEM] '97 alternator failed at about 192K miles. Voltage (as read from the Scanguage) started running high for a few weeks, which I liked. 14.1v warmed up, instead of 13.6v---nice for the AGM battery! Then one day, voltage plummeted to about 12.2 warmed up. Luckily I had bought a Denso replacement (80A version) about 1 or 2 years before, so that unit went in the next day.

 

[19963.4lsr5]

Starter didn't start dying until around 290k - but when it finally started it went out in a hurry. Replaced it with one from DB Electrical and haven't had a single issue in the past 15k miles since
I'm 90% certain I'm still with my OEM alternator. PO was pretty good at listing the work he did to the vehicle, but made no mention of the alt being replaced and it still appears to be original. However 300k is a LOT for an alt and it's possible it was replaced ages ago with an OEM unit and he forgot

I bought a new alternator from DB Electrical for my Saturn SL. Very happy with it. I’ve lost track when I purchased it but it has well over 50k miles on it.

If I ever upgrade to the CS144 Alt I was going to buy a new one from them.


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[JohnMc]

Original alternator still going strong at 245K miles.

Original starter started getting a bit intermittent at roughly 190 - 200K miles. I replaced the solenoid contacts, put it back in and it's been fine since.

 

[RS Dude]

Forgot to mention, still on original starter with 332k miles as of this posting! Densos ROCK!

 

[jgue467]

Still original

My 01 still has original most everything including starter and alternator.

Its easier to say what has been replaced, the heater control valve, Twice!!

Oh and the fan clutch, once. That is it! (yes rear bearing are original tool)

I have had to replace starter contacts on my fatherinlaws 97 runner once, it had about 250K at that time.

 

[sportscarfan]

I replaced starter contacts at 199K in 2013. Now 224k
Never replaced the alternator, and I believe it is original

 

[wrpsuite]

Must have been around 180k my battery light was staying on but had good voltage and was charging/ cranking fine. After a bunch of testing and my mechanic repeating ‘probably a bad voltage regulator’ I changed it with a denso and moved on.


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[Kbuch1]

Very timely message.
Any shop recommendations near Homewood, AL?
My daughter’s 2000 limited has a starter issue approx 245K miles currently and she is a student at Samford. Replaced the alternator earlier this year.
I have the contact parts for the starter but can’t get down there until next weekend at the earliest for her graduation.
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thank you

 

[shadow247]

OEM starter failed around 135k according to the PO. They replaced with a cheap Chinese one that failed around 240k. It failed due to moisture getting in and corrosion. Not the normal copper contact wear. I put a denso unit in at that time.

The OEM alternator failed at 170k. I stupidly put an advance auto lifetime warranty one in and sent the denso in as a core. The "lifetime warranty" one failed at 206k. I put another "lifetime warranty" one in and it failed at 219k. At that point the manager at advance was nice enough to give me a credit for the lifetime one towards a denso one. The denso is still going strong at 291k now.

Moral of the story. Only put denso/Toyota parts in these rigs when it comes to starters and alternators. Better yet rebuild them yourself like Tim showed above. They're critical parts that fail fast when they do and will leave you stranded.

The cheap Chinese starter nearly left me stranded in death valley. I started noticing issues there with it not turning over the first time or two. Then once in Beatty, NV filling up with gas it refused to start. I finally got it to start and didn't shut it off but 3 more times for the rest of the trip home from DV to Alabama. Not the safest thing, but it got me home. The next morning it would not start at all. The starter had died completely...

No worries running your vehicle for hours on end. When I do a full day of trails, I will often start my truck 1st thing in the morning, and not turn it off until I am done for the day. I think the longest I have ever run my truck without turning it off was about 7 hours...

 

[island_runner]

My original alternator made it to just over 200K miles. I am not the original owner of my 3rd Gen, but I love every bit of it!

 

[Spiker Engineering]

I'm still on original for both of these, but being at 208K and seeing all the feedback here, I think I'll replace the starter contacts and plunger proactively - that way I can control when I do it, as opposed to being stranded somewhere. I'll get the OEM parts, hard to go wrong for $25.