I have a ’99 4Runner, 4wd limited, California emissions, with 170,000 miles. I have had problems starting it for the past several weeks. On only one occasion was I unable to start it at all. After wire brushing the battery post and cable-end, it started, reluctantly.
I believe that this is the original starter. I purchased my truck, with 145,000 miles, from the second owner, who kept pretty good service records. They don’t show any starter replacement. When I have the $350 to spare, I will probably be replacing the starter, and I should probably be grateful that it has lasted this long. But I have had starter troubles with other cars in the past, and this one doesn’t seem to be a simple starter problem.
About two-thirds of the time when I turn the key, the engine starts just fine. Of that other third, there are times when there is no response (and none of the clicking that I associate with a bad starter). But most of these other times, there seems to be some turning of the starter, and the engine, but it seems more like a lack of power from the battery. There is a brief “oomph” of turn-over, lasting from half-a-second to maybe two seconds, then nothing. So I wait for a moment, and try again. Like I said, it has eventually started every time but once. When the problem is there, it generally takes a few more tries – some with nothing, most with this short “oomph” – then it starts.
I took it to a local mechanic, who has a pretty fancy battery tester, and he said the battery seems fine (Energizer, 640 amp, date stamp of 12/07, purchased from Sam’s Club by previous owner in Feb. ’08). He said his tester would have indicated if there were any bad cells. He cleaned up the battery connections pretty well, and I didn’t have any problem for about a week.
Then I had more problems starting it, so I took it to a Toyota dealer. They checked for signs of an excessive draw, but that did not seem to be the problem. They did find that there was excessive resistance in the positive battery terminal, so they replaced it. (What they call a terminal, I call a cable.) There was no problem for a couple of days.
One other bit of information, which may or may not be relevant, is that this all seems to have started shortly after I had a new, after market “lite converter” installed by the folks who did the annual inspection for my trailer. The after-market part cost about $25, and was the least expensive way to go.
But now the problem is back. It is still intermittent, but it’s there. I have read a bunch of posts from different 4Runner forums, and if I had the tools, and skills, I would replace the solenoid contacts to see if that solved the problem. I do not, so I am looking at about $350 to have a new starter installed. I have heard that it is worth paying a premium for a re-manufactured Toyota part, rather than an after-market starter. But this issue still seems unlike any starter problems I have had in the past, and I am skeptical that a new starter will fix the problem.
I believe that this is the original starter. I purchased my truck, with 145,000 miles, from the second owner, who kept pretty good service records. They don’t show any starter replacement. When I have the $350 to spare, I will probably be replacing the starter, and I should probably be grateful that it has lasted this long. But I have had starter troubles with other cars in the past, and this one doesn’t seem to be a simple starter problem.
About two-thirds of the time when I turn the key, the engine starts just fine. Of that other third, there are times when there is no response (and none of the clicking that I associate with a bad starter). But most of these other times, there seems to be some turning of the starter, and the engine, but it seems more like a lack of power from the battery. There is a brief “oomph” of turn-over, lasting from half-a-second to maybe two seconds, then nothing. So I wait for a moment, and try again. Like I said, it has eventually started every time but once. When the problem is there, it generally takes a few more tries – some with nothing, most with this short “oomph” – then it starts.
I took it to a local mechanic, who has a pretty fancy battery tester, and he said the battery seems fine (Energizer, 640 amp, date stamp of 12/07, purchased from Sam’s Club by previous owner in Feb. ’08). He said his tester would have indicated if there were any bad cells. He cleaned up the battery connections pretty well, and I didn’t have any problem for about a week.
Then I had more problems starting it, so I took it to a Toyota dealer. They checked for signs of an excessive draw, but that did not seem to be the problem. They did find that there was excessive resistance in the positive battery terminal, so they replaced it. (What they call a terminal, I call a cable.) There was no problem for a couple of days.
One other bit of information, which may or may not be relevant, is that this all seems to have started shortly after I had a new, after market “lite converter” installed by the folks who did the annual inspection for my trailer. The after-market part cost about $25, and was the least expensive way to go.
But now the problem is back. It is still intermittent, but it’s there. I have read a bunch of posts from different 4Runner forums, and if I had the tools, and skills, I would replace the solenoid contacts to see if that solved the problem. I do not, so I am looking at about $350 to have a new starter installed. I have heard that it is worth paying a premium for a re-manufactured Toyota part, rather than an after-market starter. But this issue still seems unlike any starter problems I have had in the past, and I am skeptical that a new starter will fix the problem.
