Starter Motor

[MotivatedSeller]

I've noticed that in my gz20 1ggteu, that when it's cold and i try to start the engine, i hear this weird grinding/whoosh sound. I think it's the starter, but hope it ain't the tabo's

Also sometimes if the car has been left on Acc for about 5mins and the door has been open during that time (the door thing might be a pure coincidence), the engine won't start. I take the key out, make sure it's in park or neutral, put the key in and turn it and i just hear silence. After a few goes it starts.

I was thinking the brushes on the starter or something might be burnt out? I'm going to record the sound of the car starting up tomorrow morning. Will post the sound file tomorrow night.

Anyone got any clues? Also, if anyone has a spare starter motor they want to chuck out/sell I'll be happy to buy it

Cheers.

[legend]

had wierd problems with mine wouldn't start turn the key off wait 30 sec then it would start changed bat leads checked everything

was the battery

[MotivatedSeller]

Mmm but the battery in mine is perfectly fine. Alternator is sweet too.

I just keep telling myself it's some lame arse safety feature toyota installed

But aside from that, any ideas about the noise?

[Brett]

I never heard whooshy sounds from my starter, and it was almost dead, mine made more of a clicking noise.

Maybe the map light is draining heaps of power when you leave the doors open?

[Dale]

The first bit sounds like the starter isn't engaging onto the ring gear properly

The other problem with it doing nothing sometimes could be the neutral start switch playing up, or maybe the common problem with older toyotas, the wiring going to the starter is old and doesn't have enough voltage running through it to switch the starter relay - easily cured by placing a relay in to go to the starter

[allencr]

i hear this weird grinding/whoosh sound. ...I was thinking the brushes on the starter or something might be burnt out?

You hear a metallic thunk first, right? This means the starter solenoid is getting current & energizing, feeding current to the starter motor, and engaging the starter drive/bendix/clutch. If the brushes were bad, the starter wouldn't be turning & you wouldn't hear anything except the initial solenoid 'thunk' & then nothing.

It's a little one way clutch built in the starter drive/bendix/gear(Toyota manual says starter clutch) that's going bad. It's usually infrequent, and will get more frequent until no amount of attempts will work.
All of the coincedinces are just that!! Try it with your hat on upside down!

Replacing just the drive is my preference, but most replace the entire starter with a rebuilt.

[MotivatedSeller]

Cheers allencr.

That's what I thought. Any ideas how easy it is to replace the bendix on the 1g? I've got the japanese manual for how to take it apart. The pictures look pretty but I can't read what it says. I can figure it out though I guess.

Also where can I get a new bendix from?

[MotivatedSeller]

Is there any reason that it only occurs in the cold though?

During summer it's perfectly fine. I'm guessing it's probably due to the metal expanding, and in winter it contracts making it harder for the clutch to make contact?

Does anyone know where I can get a new bendix/drive/starterclutch/gear or whatever people prefer to call it, from in Sydney?

[DavGT4]

sounds similar to a problem I had... a decent ground wire helps a bunch with voltage issues , but for the no start drama, a $12 relay sorted that problem out! Hasn't missed a beat since...

[MotivatedSeller]

You got any info on where this relay is located

[Dale]

It just involves putting in a standard horn relay, there's a howto thread on it

http://toymods.net/forums/showthread...referrerid=119

[DavGT4]

just found a point low on the firewall which had a spare hole to put a bolt in, extend and add a few wires, and hey presto!
Admittedly, I did have help