nubreed

I am experiencing starter problems on which there are many write ups on the forum. The starter clicks, and doesnt turn on till 3-4 tries. The contacts inside it are worn out. I have three options. Do it myself, get the kit, and be out of a truck for at least a week. In this scenario, I would have to buy all the proper tools, lifts, first, etc... Frankly, I dont feel like messing with this. My other option is to suck it up and buy an OEM NipponDenso Starter, have my buddy pull it out and put the new one in. This will be the most expensive scenario. The third one I am considering is getting an aftermarket starter, and doign the same. The starter I found on ebay costs $119 vs $250 and up for the OEM. My buddy can put in the cheaper aftermarket starter for half the labor rate of a shop and put the truck on a lift, and he has all the tools. My guess is the total would be around $160-$180 installed.

I would like to hear people's experiences with aftermarket parts such as these, and if anyone has used and had good/bad experiences with non OEM Toyota parts. My guess is that there will be no problems, but I am interested in your thoughts before I pull the trigger.

2wheelBLACKOUT

i have an aftermarket starter. i installed it myself. and it works perfectly fine, 2 years still counting. i got my starter for $80.00 brand new(Rotex) + core charge for my old starter. i'd say get a OEM but like most people on this board including myself, we are always looking for the best deals to stay within budget. there is nothing wrong with istalling a starter that is not OEM from my experience. good luck.

Lt. Dan

Just had my starter replaced about 2 months ago. The guys I went to rebuild and install starters & alternaters. Thats all they do. I have been useing them for 16 years now. It cost me about $110.00 installed, with a 1 year warenty.
Check around.......Stay away from all in one shops, unless you really trust them, and foget about the stealerships.

nubreed

Right, the budget is my main priority. Most of my fun money goes to my motorcycles, and I bought the 4runner to have a good, reliable and inexpensive truck. Did you get your starter online or at a shop? If online, do you have a link?

nubreed

Thats a great deal, probably not one I would find in the bay area. Does anyone know of a good shop that does this in the San Francisco Bay Area?

Adam F

You say your buddy can do the install for you? Why wouldnt you just have him pull the old starter out and put in the new contacts? If he knows how to turn a wrench he can have it in and out within a few hours.

2wheelBLACKOUT

i bought it from a local shop over here in my location.

nubreed

Once the starter is out, is it easy to put in the new contacts? I read somewhere that it takes at least an hour or so. And if it turned out not to be just the contacts, I would have to leave the truck there, and it probably would add up to more labor hours. He would not do it for free, not sure if its worth the hassle.

george16

It's real easy to replace the contacts. I have to do it this morning on my neighbor's rig this morning and the starter repair kit (contacts) cost him $17.36 from the dealership. Also, Roger Brown has a good write-up on his website.

George

P.S.
It took me ten minutes to replace the contacts.

4Crawler

iTrader: (3)

As noted, ten minutes would be about right for swapping in some new contacts once the starter is out:
- http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/CheapTricks/Starter.shtml

If you get a good rebuilt starter (as in one that was fully rebuilt and not just cleaned and painted), that is a good option, but all to often, many folks get the poorly rebuilt starter and end up having to replace them (under the lifetime warrantee) every 6-12 months. I'm still running my original '85 starter with some new contacts I installed about 7 years ago. Still turns the engine over just fine.

wasabi

hello, I have a 94 4Runner V6 Automatic, hoping to replace the starter..
Questions:
1) Are they difficult to remove and reinstall ? on a scale of 1-10, 10 being an mechanic.. I am about 3-4 (able to replace batt, spark plugs, spark plugs cable...)
2) do I need special tool ? extender ?
3) do I need to lift the vehicle or can I just crawl underneath and remove the plate ?
any info is appreciated

4Crawler

iTrader: (3)

If at all possible, don't replace the starter. See the post and link above for how to repair the starter. The actual starter rarely fails, it is usually just the copper contacts inside the solenoid (that is part of the starter) or some other electircal/wiring issue that causes starting problems. It is probably a few points over replacing spark plugs, no terribly special tools needed, more nimble fingers to get to it.

rimpainter.com

My starter was experiencing the "click" problem. I ordered up the contacts from Roger, pulled the starter in 45 minutes, and replaced the contacts. No problems since. Starts up every time! I could see how the old contacts had worn down. The new ones fit perfectly.

I would also like to note that I have a 3rd gen with headers and contrary to what the write-up says in the tech section, I did not have to pull the passenger side header off. I was able to get the starter out without removing any other unrelated parts.

The way I see it, Roger saved me at least $100!

4Crawler

iTrader: (3)

Yes simple repair (once you gain access to the starter). Another tip on my page is to pull the starter but don't necessarily remove it from the engine bay if that proves difficult. Just rest it on the frame rail and open up the solenoid cover and replace the contacts like that. Toughest part of the job is figuring out how to get the nuts/bolts off that hold the starter in place and second toughest step is physically getting the starter out of the engine bay. So you can save the 2nd toughest step in the process by repairing it in place, as compared to swapping a rebuilt starter in there.

I'm still on the original starter in my '85, replaced the contacts once about 7 years ago and it is still starting fine. Heard too many stories from folks who installed re-man starters, only to have the fail within 6 months to a year. Sure, they have a lifetime warrantee, but all that says is that you be spending the rest of the vehicle's lifetime replacing starters. Best to keep the reliable factory starter and fix the parts that wear out. Afterall, when your spark plugs wear out, you don't have a rebuilt engine installed, you change the plugs.

wasabi

4 crawler.. thanks for your input.. I'll give it a shot when the weather cooperates....

again.. Thank you.. much appreciated..

Wasabi