Toyota Punk

My friend owns a 2000 Taco, and tonight his starter went dead. It's sitting abandoned at the park right now, and tomorrow morning he and I are going to buy a new starter from AutoZone, and try to replace it. How difficult is it to replace? From what I could see, there's only a few wires and a few bolts. Any tips, instructions or maybe FSM scans would be greatly appreciated. Even if it's for a Runner, the setup is probably very similar. We are looking to get started about 9, and we need to be done by about 2 so he can get to work.

Also, he installed an 1800 watt woofer today. He said that for some time it has taken a a little long for it to turn over when he started it. I'm not sure what hooking up the sub would have done to the starter, but could the problem be at all related? Thanks in advance.

Corey

iTrader: (1)

This is for a 2nd gen, and the '89 to '95 trucks:
http://www.off-road.com/toyota/tech/starter/

Not sure if it will be if any help for the newer one of not.
One word of caution:
I have heard to stay away from ALL aftermarket starters.
Yes, some come with a lifetime warranty, but you will exercise that right once a year.
If it is the starter, get the real deal at the dealer. I paid $199 two summers ago for my "remanufactured" Toy one.

How is the battery in the rig? The woofer, how big of an amp driving it? Not sure how it could be related to the rig not wanting to start.
If you can get the starter out, I'd try replacing the contacts with the kit that is on the page in the above URL first before spending money on a starter.

PS, Vince, if you guy's do end up getting the starter out, you should get pics to document it.
I did a little searching around the 'Net a bit ago, and I did not see any articlles on the 3rd gen or Taco's as far as R&R'n the starter.

It would make a good tech write-up.

Toyota Punk

Well let me just start by saying... damn. This was a mightyfine waste of a day. I read that link you posted Corey, and I had already read one similar article from a search on the old forum. I was pretty convinced that the problem was indeed the solenoid contact. We got up at8:30, went to Toyota and picked up the contacts. I also had my camera handy to document the project. We then went to the park and spent the next 4 hours trying to remove the starter. It is very cramped up there and quite a PITA to remove. I must also add that it is not even close to the 2nd gen in the pictures. We ended up not being able to remove one of the bolts, and at roughly 1:30 I called AAA to tow it to my buddy's shop. We worked on it for a little while, and finally removed the top bolt, but our moment of glory was short lived. We realized that we could not remove the bottom bolt either (which I had merely unscrewed but not removed) due to the motor mount being in the way. We deliberated on what course to take for the next hour or so while still trying to remove it to no avail. Finally we admitted defeat and came to the conclustion that the only way to remove the starter is to jack up the motor itself and remove the motor mount, and there was no way we were going to takle that. We put everything back together and tried to decide who to take it to. (Now here is where the subwoofer install comes into play.) When the tow truck dropped it off, my buddy they mechanic looked it over and checked the fuse box in the engine bay. Nothing was out of order. I let him know that there was another box inside, under the dash and I checked it out. There was a fuse missing marked "STA" which I thought might mean "Starter". We popped a spare in and kept working. Once we had everything put back together we decided to see if it would start for the hell of it, and it did. Turns out my friend's know-it-all installer pulled the fuse while the truck was running after they installed it because some other fuse blew and he thought that one was a spare or something like that. (?) I don't even know what he was thinking. So of course they didn't realize there was a problem until they turned it off later and it wouldn't start, but none of them remembered the fuse.

So all in all I wasted money and a day, plus one of my AAA towes. :mad: :pat: I need a beer...

butnut

Damn! That is messed up Vince. An itty-bitty fuse eh? Just think if you yanked the motor, fixed the starter, put it all back and still no start...just a missing fuse. I thought it was kinda wierd for a fairly new truck to have a bad starter...glad you found the real problem...what you said his name was? Go have that drink now.
butnut

Corey

iTrader: (1)

I don't even think I have a fuse for my starter, as I have been in the cockpits fuse box a few times last week while taking off all my taps there.

I will have to look and see if there is one, but I doubt it on mine.
That is too bad the guy took it out and you guy's went through all that work.
Corey

Toyota Punk

That's what I thought too. My mech. said that since it's right under the header, the heat might have caused a problem too. He suggested that we get a heat sheild for it to prevent any problems down the line. Any ideas on this?

The funny thing is, even after I pointed out the missing 7.5 volt fuse, he thought it was probably nothing since it simply wasn't there and at the time :mad: the stupid kid who installed it didn't remember messing with the fuses... What would be interesting to find out is why they wouldn't have one on the 2nd gen, but would on the 3rd? Maybe it helped avoid some consistant problem they were having with the previous design?

It is fortunate that we realized what happened before we called a shop and had it towed. It's funny though, all the trouble we went through to avoid having his mom find out about all this. Last night when I went to help him at 11 or so stranded in the park, he was worried about his mom finding out he bought the system, so he took it all apart and we stashed it in my truck. I took him home and then he called me about an hour later and asked to stay at my apartment so we could try and fix it and his mom wouldn't find out about his breakdown. :chicken: Lucky for him we fixed it and she never has to know...