Dear Ed and Jeff:
Several months back my [Toyota] LandCruiser started giving me start problems, i.e., I’d turn the key, and it would not start. It would not do anything; it was totally dead.
After I turned it one or two times more, it would start.
The battery is only approximately 20 months old, but I had it checked anyway at both NTB — where it was purchased and installed — and at Miller Toyota, Manassas, Va., and it was good.
Miller recommended either a new starter or new brushes. The vehicle has 111,100 miles. I opted for the cheaper solution — new brushes — around the first of September. Then I made two trips to Fayetteville, N.C., [330 miles each way] plus local driving.
I had no further problems until about three weeks ago when the same old symptoms returned — turn the key it’s dead and dead; turn it again and it starts.
The second and last time, I had to turn the key about seven times before it would start. I’m hesitant to make any trip now over 100 miles from home.
Should I return to Miller and request they swap out the rebuilt starter motor for a new one? Hopefully this would be at their expense since on this model it’s about an eight-hour labor job just to get to the starter motor.
Or is there some other problem besides the starter motor? Thanks in advance for your time and advice.
— James W.
Ed: It would be possible for the starter motor to be the cause of the concern again. But, it also might be the electrical part of the ignition switch. Sometimes these switches can become intermittent on cranking, before they finally give up all together.
You would be best served by having the electrical signal to the starter/starter solenoid checked by a competent technician at your local garage or a AAA Approved Auto Repair facility.
The solenoid allows a small wire from the ignition switch to get a high amperage draw like the starter to use a heavier electrical wire to activate it, saving the wiring on your car.
I can’t blame you on not wanting to take long trips with an intermittent cranking/starting concern.
Jeff: If the starter is receiving start current from the solenoid, then you may need to bite the bullet and replace the starter.
As far as asking for the repair to be at the cost of the dealer, your chances are slim to none. The dealership offered you the choice of replacing the starter or just the brushes. You chose the least expensive choice and replaced the brushes, which worked for a period of time.
What is probably occurring is there is some scoring on the armature in the starter, and as the brushes travel across the armature, they are worn prematurely.
I realize this is an expensive repair, but sometimes the less expensive choice is not always the best choice. Maybe the dealer will discount the replacement some if you ask nicely. Remember “you catch more flies with honey than vinegar.” Good Luck!
Drive Guys Ed Kriston and Jeffrey Boone are automotive repair specialists based in the Towson office of AAA Mid-Atlantic.
