'90 Camry Starting Problem
RK
third time in the last 3 years. Just in a few months, the starter begins
making a clicking sound without starting the car. After many tries, the
car starts. This problem occurs usually when the engine is hot, i.e. the
car has run for some time. Happens more frequently in summer with the
air conditioning on.
We have been to 3 different dealers, and every time they say the starter
is bad and needs to be replaced.
I am wondering now if something other than the starter is the problem
e.g. some temperature sensor or the alarm system, the speaker of which
has been disconnected.
Has anyone else experienced something similar or has any ideas to try?
Thanks much,
Roger
----------------
for e-mail, please remove the first 'z' to respond.
Victor & Toni Jo Friedmann
a similar problem.
The clicking sound you hear is the solenoid not working properly. A starter
works by activating a solenoid that engages the starter motor gear to the
engine. When the gears are properly engaged an electrical connection is
completed and the starter begins to turn the engine.
What I have read is that heat from a nearby exhaust pipe can warp the
housing and/or gear mechanism of the solenoid (which is part of the starter
but which may also be replaced separately for much less money.) Replacing
the starter and/or solenoid will not solve the fundamental problem of the
unit overheating.
Try contacting the manufacturer in reference to this problem or try telling
a dealer about the overheating idea and go from there. It is highly unlikely
that all the starters you have installed are defective.
Vic
RK wrote in message <36267B8D...@worldnet.att.net>...
Mark DeGaust
voltage and/or amperage at the battery while someone cranks the engine, then
from the starter, etc., to see if you have voltage drops or amp loss. Poor
connections, broken wire, a bad relay, or a tired or run down battery might
cause the same symptom because of poor flow.
A thing about starters I learned the hard way: its more reliable to buy new
starters, though expensive. Often when starters go bad, the windings in the
starter motor develop internal shorts when the winding material expands with
heat and that go away when the material cools and contracts. Hot start
problems related to that defect can sometimes be diagnosed with the good
old-fashioned "baseball bat" method: knock on the starter body smartly with
a bat or some other solid cudgel while someone hits the key, trying to get
that short open. If it kicks, the windings are bad. Often, rebuilders will
take a core, remanufacture it, but these internal winding problems are not
evident because the case and the windings are not hot. They'll test it, it
will be fine, and then the customer gets it installed and after a heat soak,
those windings short again, pissing the customer off.
Don't know if this helps or I'm telling you something you already know. Good
luck with it.
joepu...@my-dejanews.com
ztop...@worldnet.att.net wrote:
> In our '90 Camry, we put a new (Toyota Remanufactured) starter for the
> third time in the last 3 years. Just in a few months, the starter begins
> making a clicking sound without starting the car. After many tries, the
> car starts. This problem occurs usually when the engine is hot, i.e. the
> car has run for some time. Happens more frequently in summer with the
> air conditioning on.
>
> We have been to 3 different dealers, and every time they say the starter
> is bad and needs to be replaced.
>
> I am wondering now if something other than the starter is the problem
> e.g. some temperature sensor or the alarm system, the speaker of which
> has been disconnected.
>
> Has anyone else experienced something similar or has any ideas to try?
>
> Thanks much,
>
> Roger
>
> ----------------
> for e-mail, please remove the first 'z' to respond.
>
I read all the complaints about the Toyota Starters. I own a 91 Camry. I had
a similar problem with my car. Car wouldn't start when it is warm. . I took
the car to my nearest Toyota dealer Bob Ciasulli. They diagnosed the problem
to be the starter. They charged me $330.00. The same day the car failed. I
took it back to the dealer. They replaced the cables. I payed $156.00. The
same day car failed again. I took it back. They said battery is bad. I told
them my head lights don't dim. Then they said my ignition switch is bad. It
will cost me $250.00 to change it. I said enough is enough. I took the car
to my local servicer, Fairfield Exon. He spent time and diagnosed the
problem. Very simple. Camry has a starter relay on the kick panel. He billed
me $40.00 for parts and $90.00 for diagnosing charge. I am very happy with
the service. Car is working fine now. Try it.
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jpul...@aol.com
ztop...@worldnet.att.net wrote:
> In our '90 Camry, we put a new (Toyota Remanufactured) starter for the
> third time in the last 3 years. Just in a few months, the starter begins
> making a clicking sound without starting the car. After many tries, the
> car starts. This problem occurs usually when the engine is hot, i.e. the
> car has run for some time. Happens more frequently in summer with the
> air conditioning on.
>
> We have been to 3 different dealers, and every time they say the starter
> is bad and needs to be replaced.
>
> I am wondering now if something other than the starter is the problem
> e.g. some temperature sensor or the alarm system, the speaker of which
> has been disconnected.
I read all the complaints about the Toyota Starters. I own a 91 Camry. I had
a similar problem with my car. Car wouldn't start when it is warm. . I took
the car to my nearest Toyota dealer Bob Ciasulli in NJ. They diagnosed the
problem to be the starter. They charged me $330.00. The same day the car
failed. I took it back to the dealer. They replaced the cables. I paid
$156.00. The same day car failed again. I took it back. They said battery is
bad. I told them my headlights don't dim. Then they said my ignition switch
is bad. It will cost me $250.00 to change it. I said enough is enough. I
took the car to my local servicer, Fairfield Exxon. He spent time and
diagnosed the problem. Very simple. Camry has a starter relay on the kick
panel. He billed me $40.00 for parts and $90.00 for diagnosing charge. I am
very happy with the service. Car is working fine now. Try it.
>
> Has anyone else experienced something similar or has any ideas to try?
>
> Thanks much,
>
> Roger
>
> ----------------
> for e-mail, please remove the first 'z' to respond.
>
>
-----------== Posted via Deja News, The Discussion Network ==----------
JESSE ZHU
Why didn't you take the Toyota dealer to small claim court? What the
dealer charged you was not related your car problem, you spent so much
money for nothing. You deserve to get part of your money back.
>
> I read all the complaints about the Toyota Starters. I own a 91 Camry. I had
> a similar problem with my car. Car wouldn't start when it is warm. . I took
> the car to my nearest Toyota dealer Bob Ciasulli. They diagnosed the problem
> to be the starter. They charged me $330.00. The same day the car failed. I
> took it back to the dealer. They replaced the cables. I payed $156.00. The
> same day car failed again. I took it back. They said battery is bad. I told
> them my head lights don't dim. Then they said my ignition switch is bad. It
> will cost me $250.00 to change it. I said enough is enough. I took the car
> to my local servicer, Fairfield Exon. He spent time and diagnosed the
> problem. Very simple. Camry has a starter relay on the kick panel. He billed
> me $40.00 for parts and $90.00 for diagnosing charge. I am very happy with
> the service. Car is working fine now. Try it.
>
>