Engine won't turn over

[240dae]

Hello everyone.

2004 RX300 with FSH and 80,000 miles is now intermittently not turning over.

AA man showed me an alloy part approx 24inches below the air inlet assembly, which if I repeatedly bang with a brush handle cures the problem for about the next 15 to 20 starts.

Has anyone else had this problem? Do I need a new starter motor, or is this a kind of solenoid that can be cleaned up?

AA man said both Battery and alternator are both healthy.

 

Thanks everyone

[ChrisKaye]

That's quite unusual on a lex! Sounds like starter motor alright.

Should be fairly straightforward to swap out (not much labour) - knowing how few issues there have been with starters, it may be worth sourcing a second hand part from a breakers yard?

Sent from my Iphone using Tapatalk

[240dae]

Just taken the starter motor out, fairly easy once the Battery and air inlet ducting is removed, no special tools needed.

starter motor turns by hand and had no rattles coming from it, nothing is jammed or corroded, so must be something internal such as brushes or contacts.

searched online and got an OEM equivalent with 12 months warranty for £100, delivered. Original Denso one from Toyota was over double that.

considering how many starts the car has had over its lifetime the original starter has done well.

ill let you know what happens next.

[Verbout]

Back in the day we used to strip the starter motor and clean the sticking solenoid when we had got fed up of hitting it with a hammer, they were easily accessible.

Now you sometimes having trouble finding it under the cluttered bonnet.

If you don't want to be under the bonnet while stranded in the middle of nowhere, I believe it's best either to replace with either a new one, or a refurbished one from a trusted source. 

We've replace started motors and alternators on our family cars with refurbished, been fine. 

[240dae]

So, new starter motor fitted no problem and has worked ok so far.

cranking speed is higher and the sound when cranking is noticeably different, too early to say if that's for better or worse!

fingers crossed.

[Verbout]

It's got to be better, it's not labouring, it's not taking too much juice from the Battery, and it works. :)

[Drpellypo]

Have you still got the old one? If so, strip it down, wash it off in some paraffin, change the brushes, and give the windings a scrub with some emery paper, and you've got yourself a reconditioned starter motor to sell on. Recon'ing starters is how I learned my trade when I was a kid, and it was a piece of cake.