When did your starter go?

Just curious for those that have replaced their starter at what mileage did it happen?
I've got a 2005 DC 4x4 w/154,000 not sure when a guy has to start worrying about such a thing.

 

Most members seem to be on their original starter. I'm at roughly 185k miles in my 2002.

 

Starter was acting up at around 115k miles or so, giving me the click on some startups. Called the dealership to order a new one (I was used to driving chebbys). The service dept. tech kind of laughed when I asked how much a new starter was. He'd been a Lexus / Toyota tech for 18 years and had never had to replace a starter on a UZ motor. "Practically bulletproof" he says. He then let me know that the most common failure was the wear item inside the starter, the copper contacts. I purchased both for $13 in 2007 moneys and replaced them. I'm at 266k miles on that very starter today. OG. The 2 reasons for it's longevity is likely a combo of Toyota quality standards and the placement of the starter inside the V, protecting it from the typical location's exhaust heat. The downside is the replacement cannot be done by bolting and un-bolting the starter like a chebby. You have to pull the intake manifold to access it. You have to buy new intake manifold gasket, which cost me $118 in 2007 moneys. For me, unless I get the "clicks", I worry not one bit about my starter.

 

Stay away from power washing your engine and getting water pooled in the intake manifold area and you should be good for a long time. Otherwise, those starter contacts will corrode. I'm at 245K on my original starter.

 

^What these guys said. 170k on the original starter here with no plans to change it out in the foreseeable future.

 

325k on the original starter.

 

290k on the OG starter here.

 

I was nervous to read this thread . . .LOL . . . good info on the engine washing.
I don't power wash, but I do occasionally give it a spray with some cleaner, then a spray from a tight pattern low volume hose, followed by an immediate brazilian blow-out with the leaf blower.
I'll be more cautious moving forward.

 

Slightly related. The Gen 1's came from, at least in part, the V6 T-100.

My 1997 V6 T-100 (I'm the original owner) is on the original starter at 275,000 miles.

 

Mine went at 249k miles, with the truck throwing a P1226 code after replacement. Still trying to figure that one out.

 

293k miles on original starter and alternator in my '05 DC. A lot of other original parts, but amazed by longevity of starter and alternator. And that's 293k miles and counting.

 

On the flipside, my alternator burned up and caught fire before my truck hit 70k miles

I guess it's all relative. There's always one horror story in the bunch. Why is it always me?

 

They definitely seem up to the task, but when my Ford 300 six starter went belly up, I could replace it in about 1/2 hour including the trip to Pep Boys (remember them ). As good as my Tundra has been for me since 2001, I still miss the simplicity of the older vehicles.

 

I replaced my starter pre-emptively. Around 160k on my odometer. I had the HD starter (I think) and now I have the non HD starter. But I have my OG starter so I can rebuild it someday. And hopefully at some point I'll be competent enough to handle swapping it back in? I dunno.

That plus my 31 battery and the thing jumps out of the blocks when you turn the key to the point that the wife is a little scared to drive it. And, oddly, she prefers the Tundra as it's the only AT I own even though she's a damn fine stick driver and owned a stick outback. I think the wrong shift pattern on the knob of the '05 (since rectified) pissed her off permanently.

Anyway, TLDR, replacing the starter was maybe the dumbest move of all the moves I did. Far dumber than replacing the radiator which does seem to fail. But I don't really regret it, kind of nice to have new parts and I had all sorts of work to do on gaskets, water pump, etc so f it, why not? Just should have got the HD starter.

 

2000 4.7 RWD AC. Replaced starter at 185,000 miles. Intermittent hard starts then it failed to disengage and just kept cranking. No problems since replacement.

 

Denso replacement?

 

Original was replaced with Denso by the local, independent Toyota specialist. Wasn't given the option (and didn't ask for) the HD version.

 

Anyone know specifically what the HD starter does differently from the regular one and how it affects things? Easier starts in cold is all I’m familiar with but I wonder how specifically the mechanics are done.

 

I don't know if this answers your question but it basically throws another horse under the hood to turn a cold engine over(communtator slightly bigger). I assume that's why they also add a heavy duty battery(27F) vs 24F due to the extra current draw of starter(100Amp vs 90Amp).

1.4KW = 1.87743 HP
2.0KW = 2.68204 HP

 

So more HP for the starter is more likely to break tension from ice? Or gets the engine turning faster which helps ensure it starts? Is it the max speed or the torque / breakaway strength which matters most? Outside of bumping the starter for offroad use for now.

 

Between 2015 and 2018, my truck got very little use as the previous owner, my grandfather, was going through health issues and had difficulty getting up onto the tall seat. During this time, it was very common for the starter to click but not crank. It would just click probably 50% of the time you tried to start it. We had it checked out multiple times but it wasn't a battery or cable issue.

What fixed it was simply more use. Once my grandfather's health improved, and he started driving it more, it would slowly happen less and less until it would work every time. In the two years I've owned the truck, there has only been a couple of times where it's sat for more than a week, and it's started no problem every time.

I've always been told that cranking faster makes an engine start faster, as the cranking speed is closer to the actual running speed. Another factor in extreme cold is the oil thickening, it can create some serious resistance inside the engine.

My truck has the HD starter, and it's always cranked fast as hell, but I didn't notice much of a difference when I've driven my friend's truck that has the non-HD starter. That said, it was at 60° and the real test is at 15° below zero. Have you noticed a difference between the two?

 

The biggest difference for me I think comes from my AGM group 31 battery. I heard from a TW guy that his 3rd Gen Tacoma starts up crazy fast with a 31. I’m planning to swap to dual 27’s so I wonder if I’ll see a difference.

But it’s not crazy cold here.

I did notice my ‘05 did not start like much of a champ today after weeks of sitting. I need to drive it but the rear shocks are at accutune so I don’t feel comfortable taking it out. Might let it idle for 10-15 minutes tomorrow.

Starter-wise I’m not sure there is a big delta. I’d have to hook up the lead acid 24 to know I think?

 

During our unprecedented zero deg on Christmas eve morning, the 04 cranked like she normally does, approx 1 sec crank.
At the end of the day, it was a $70 pkg that orig owner chose to add but not sure it added that much to the delta.

 

I have an Odyssey PCM1500 in my Rock Buggy and it is 1500CCA for the first like 15 seconds. Sounds like the starter is going to explode every time

I thought I got a better pic of it, but it’s there.

 

In my experience the starters never die, the contacts in the solenoid burn which causes the click of death

 

I pulled my starter two days ago after checking all the usual suspects and cleaned the contacts. It worked wonderfully that whole day. Next morning not so good.
Going with a replacement. Any opinions which one? I'm looking at Rock Auto.

 

Denso. Only denso. But I wouldn't be so sure it's the starter. Double check all the connections and contacts. As @shifty` says, it's almost never the starter. Or fuel filter.

 

Yes, good advice. I'm very careful when washing the engine. Nothing like getting stuck at the car wash when the engine won't start for one or more reasons.

I'm on the original starter at 247K on my 2003 Tundra. Original almost everything.

At 270K miles, I replaced the starter on my 1985 SR5, but only because the solenoid was causing a current drain.

 

I would add some interesting memorabilia about vehicle reliability from when I was a kid in the '50's & '60's. Back then, autos and auto parts were short lived. A starter or solenoid might last 15-25K miles, a generator or alternator maybe 20K. Distributor caps and contact points maybe 10K if lucky. Tires? Not much longer. People would be stopped by the side of the road everywhere you went to change tires due to punctures. Auto repair was a huge industry found at gas stations and shops on nearly every city block.

We are truly lucky that the likes of Toyoda Motors changed the philosophy and reliability of the auto industry. And yes, I'd rather pay $60K for a highly safe and reliable car than much less for one that leaves you stranded and crawling under a vehicle or waiting for a tow.

 

Both gen 1 - The 2000 failed at 195k and the 2002 failed at 290k