I PM'd todd. Hopefully he can get me some part numbers. I only have one stealer in my area, Landers, which is a pretty big operation, but i guess the parts dept lacks much smarts. I'd really like to get these before the weekend, I've been leaving the 99 in the garage all week as I don't want it to leave me stranded. (That and the 87 absorbs door dings a lot better in mass-parking lots.)

 

I've done this repair countless times on other kinds of Toyota's and you can usually pick up a jobber contact and plunger that will work just fine from any starter/alternator shop. Toyota parts are the best but jobber stuff beats walkin'.

 

I believe you, I have only had problems with the parts department at Joe Myers, mann they must think we are dummies!

 

Anyone here ever done this on a 3rd gen? I can't get the starter out of the hole it's in. Can't pull it up, can't pull it through the fender, and can't drop it out the bottom. Crap!!!

 

mine will not crank frist time in the morning first key turn. After that it cranks right up. most of the time after that it cranks the rest of the day fine. It has deffinatly gotten worse since it has gotten colder. That is why I thought it was my battery.

hope it is not my starter. I have a warrenty on my battery!

 

Anybody? She's sitting in the garage waiting on me. The auto tranny pan has a big hard line running to it that blocks me from pulling it out below... I just can't figure this out. Horrible!

 

Can't help you on that one, not familiar enough with the newer rigs. That hard line, is it the filler neck for the AT? Might be able to just disconnect it but I'll bet you'll have to drain some of the fluid to do so. Someone else might know...

 

Holy Crap! Who would have thought. Had to pull loose the A/T dibstic holder, and take off the RF brake brackets and then BARELY squeezed it through the little opening. Damn toyota for that and having me have to work on a starter with only 75K miles! Oh well, hopefully I'll get by the dealer friday and get some new contacts and all will be solved... oh yeah and somehow one of my little bolts that holds the cover on the starter (where the contacts reside) stripped.

 

haha. yea, I had the same problem I think I ended up pulling it from the passenger wheelwell. but I have a manual tranny so it may not be the same. you may have more crap in the way. can you take a pic or two and post them and maybe we can suggest a route. it is a very tight spot but with a little persuasion and smoke and mirrors you can pull it without having to pull anything else off first.

 

I just took my runner back to sears to have them test my dihard and they ended up replacing it because it was my secound trip. Hopefully it will solve my problem and it is not my starter. Well atleast eighter way I got a brand new dihard gold battery for free.

 

Well, I changed my contacts out. They sure were worn. I haven't had any problems in the past few days i've been driving it. I think the problem's solved for me.

 

Glad to hear, thanks for letting us know the outcome.

 

You bet. If it goes a full week, we'll know it's solved. I'll try to take some pics and post a little help area on my website (or someone else can host either way) for any other 3gers that are gonna have to do this, as it would have saved me a couple of hours at least if I knew how to get it out of there to start with.

 

I tought my problem was also solved but I think it might be my contacts to. After getting a new a battey day before yesterday my truck took 3 turns of the key to crank this morning. If it was the starter would it turn over realy slow like the battery was half dead or would it just click. Mine barely turns over on the first turn usually but after that it cranks right up. The cold would not have any thing to do with the starter would it. Because the colder it is the worse my truck starts. Any sugjestions?

 

If you have the time

It pretty much just clicks. You may want to check them anyways, but also double check all your electrical connections at the starter and battery as well as grounds.