my car isnt starting....somtimes(?)

[xCronosx1125]

ok, well i have another problem, i was out at knotts scary farm the other night, and when i got to my car, it wouldnt start. it wasnt the battery cuz it was at full power. then i figured it was the starter motor since it wasnt even turning over. that sucked(especially cuz i was with a girl and in the rain....) well anyway, i had to push start it and it worked fine after that.
then the next day(2nd day), i started it, and it was fine......

then the day after THAT(3rd day) it wouldnt even turn over again. i heard a click, so i tried a jump but again it only started up with a push start.....

im confused..... like, is it the battery, or the starter that is giving me a problem........or both..... OR EVEN SOMETHING I DONT EVEN KNOW OF????

i would appreciate some leads/ advice......
thanks...

-steven

[Ben]

Sounds like starter contacts. Just need to remove the starter, open it up, and replace the copper contacts - super easy. I'm in Oceanside if you are near by.

[xCronosx1125]

well im in the LA area, so i guess not really close haha. but thanks anyways! i guess ill check this out and repost when i can. hopefully this is easy..... gotta get to school somehow..... lol

[xCronosx1125]

oh, and could you explain the procedure a little more detailed, kinda dont know whats up with the copper contacts haha. or will i know what it is once i see it?

[canadam]

This isn't a MKII, but it's the same basic procedure.

MKI MR2 Write-ups

[xCronosx1125]

thanks! thats loads of help

[TomsMR2]

theres a lot more parts in a starter that can go bad.

the brushes typically go out on any electric motor. sure the contacts can go too, but the carbon brushes are considered a wear item, its expected for them to die eventually.

rebuilding and diagnosing a bad starter isnt *too* hard, but you do need specific knowledge of how a starter works, and a good knowledge of how to use a meter and perform the specific tests.. if you dont know how, 100 bucks will get you a lifetime warranty reman. i strongly recommend the reman.

if you want to verify the bad starter, get a wooden broom or dowl (or hammer if you're sure you know where to tap without hitting an electrical contact) and bang on the starter a few times. if it fires right up afterwards, you're good to go! you can do that to limp yourself around until you fix the starter as well.

[MR2TRD1]

I agree...have someone turn the key while you tap the starter. If the starter is bad you'll get intermittent action. You can find used starters well under $100. Its a pretty easy change in the car as well. Actually I think I may have one.

[Luni]

No lifetime warranty remans from checker, autozone, or other places allowed on my car.

Fork out the coin and get one from Toyota.

My starter has 195k miles on it and still works fine.

[TomsMR2]

i have 60K on my kragen reman, and it works 100% of the time. i will never have to buy another starter, ever again. my reman alternator has 40K on it and charges a perfect 14.2v , ill also never pay for another alternator ever again. i had 3 oem TOYOTA alternators fail on me, and zero kragen alternators fail on me.

a reman means its a factory toyota part with the brushes replaced, and usually a new regulator.. and a lifetime warranty. they work great. have it tested before you leave the store, if they're good on the bench, they'll be good in your car. most "bad" remans fail right off the shelf.

[canadam]

I never had a customer come back to the Toyota parts department because starter contacts never did the trick. Most people with minimal mechanical knowledge have no trouble replacing them. You can buy contacts for only a couple bucks.

[Jason.MZW20]

The reman from NAPA is an OEM Denso unit. Buy the 1.6kw motor and save yourself the trouble when it gets a little colder than expected. It's listed as the A/T spec or M/T Cold Area spec.

[Luni]

Interesting Tom.