03-30-2016, 11:18 AM
Last edit by: IB Advertising
See related guides and technical advice from our community experts:
- Toyota Tacoma How to Replace Starter<br>Step by step intructions for do-it-yourself repairs.
3rd Gen, 3.4 Auto starter removal write-up (pic heavy)
02-13-2010, 11:31 AM
#81
Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Posts: 1,532
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hey ROCK:
Thanks for the update and pics! I'm going to be doing mine any day now. Mine is also a '00 2WD. I hope the TRD headers aren't in the way. I haven't looked yet. The temp is perfect to do this... 75 degrees
Paul
Thanks for the update and pics! I'm going to be doing mine any day now. Mine is also a '00 2WD. I hope the TRD headers aren't in the way. I haven't looked yet. The temp is perfect to do this... 75 degrees
Paul
02-13-2010, 01:25 PM
#84
Contributing Member
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Tempe, AZ
Posts: 849
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Quick fix was to drop the starter then (to remove it) pull the PS lines and take it out the back. Super quick and only lost a few oz of fluid.
02-25-2010, 06:54 PM
#85
Contributing Member
02-25-2010, 06:56 PM
#86
Contributing Member
I just went through the starter removal and this is how i did it, very easy when i figured it out. I've read the removals and i think that some of them are too complicated.
Break the starter bolts. (use 2 long extensions 6" or more with 1/2 drive/and the largest ratchet you have, use a cheater if you can. Will also need a swivel. bottom one is easy, top a little harder. angle the extension as level as you can from the top bolt through the crossmember and out, this will give you the best angle.
remove the trans stick, unbolt the brakeline.
Here is wher I did it a little different (take the brake line and ziptie it to the left side of the wheel well (there are a/c (?) lines thereif you are looking straight into the wheel well at the starter) this makes it much easier took 5 minutes to pull it out after unbolting and turning the starter around.
also, when you unhook the wheel well mudflaps that keep debris from getting in the engine compartment to get to the starter, unhook the ones at the front of the wheel well (you can put your arms through and get both sides of the starter to flip it around and pull it through the hole(like the picture above, but with the brakeline to the left(much easier))
took me ten minutes total to pull out and put back in (without bolts of course)
don't overthink this, it is actually very simple and i believe that the dealerhip does it this way.
toyotas are very well thought out as far as design, if it something appears to be complex then it is probably you that is making it that way. except that our hands are twice the size of an japaness auto worker
Break the starter bolts. (use 2 long extensions 6" or more with 1/2 drive/and the largest ratchet you have, use a cheater if you can. Will also need a swivel. bottom one is easy, top a little harder. angle the extension as level as you can from the top bolt through the crossmember and out, this will give you the best angle.
remove the trans stick, unbolt the brakeline.
Here is wher I did it a little different (take the brake line and ziptie it to the left side of the wheel well (there are a/c (?) lines thereif you are looking straight into the wheel well at the starter) this makes it much easier took 5 minutes to pull it out after unbolting and turning the starter around.
also, when you unhook the wheel well mudflaps that keep debris from getting in the engine compartment to get to the starter, unhook the ones at the front of the wheel well (you can put your arms through and get both sides of the starter to flip it around and pull it through the hole(like the picture above, but with the brakeline to the left(much easier))
took me ten minutes total to pull out and put back in (without bolts of course)
don't overthink this, it is actually very simple and i believe that the dealerhip does it this way.
toyotas are very well thought out as far as design, if it something appears to be complex then it is probably you that is making it that way. except that our hands are twice the size of an japaness auto worker
02-28-2010, 08:08 PM
#89
Contributing Member
Ok, well, I did what Adam F said, and just unbolted the starter and did the repair with the starter still in the vehicle! No need to take it out of the vehicle. Not bad at all! The trick is unclipping the mud flap guards in the inner passenger fender, then smooth sailing. Took 2 hours. I got the contacts at my Toyota dealer. They had 3 different styles, and I just bought two of each, and returned the ones I didn't use.
After unbolting the starter bolts (use 2 long extensions 6" or more with 1/2 drive/and the largest ratchet you have with swivel, remove the trans stick, unbolt the brakeline), you can twist the started around to face the passenger side wheel well. This lets you remove the 3 bolts on the solenoid cover:
With cap off. The bottom contact is the one that wears out and the one that everyone is replacing:
I only replaced the bad contact, as the other was barely worn. Comparo of old and new contact. Crazy how much the plunger dug into it over time:
Next, I put some brake cleaner on a rag and wiped out the inside and installed the new contact, on bottom in photo:
After two hours, this is what I was left with:
Remember, you DO NOT have to remove the starter to do this repair.
After unbolting the starter bolts (use 2 long extensions 6" or more with 1/2 drive/and the largest ratchet you have with swivel, remove the trans stick, unbolt the brakeline), you can twist the started around to face the passenger side wheel well. This lets you remove the 3 bolts on the solenoid cover:
With cap off. The bottom contact is the one that wears out and the one that everyone is replacing:
I only replaced the bad contact, as the other was barely worn. Comparo of old and new contact. Crazy how much the plunger dug into it over time:
Next, I put some brake cleaner on a rag and wiped out the inside and installed the new contact, on bottom in photo:
After two hours, this is what I was left with:
Remember, you DO NOT have to remove the starter to do this repair.
03-01-2010, 12:56 AM
#90
Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: hubert nc
Posts: 1,151
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
sounds about same way did for my neighbor a few years ago... he just replaced the whole starter. Go figure his starter went out the day was set to move out...
i sure did save his butt. that day
i sure did save his butt. that day
04-24-2010, 02:34 PM
#91
Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I just did this but it took me almost 4 hrs. I didn't think to search here until I had the starter unbolted but couldn't get it out. Next repair on my wifes 4runner I will check this site first
05-13-2010, 10:19 AM
#92
Registered User
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Add me to the list of folks that have found this thread very useful. It took me a while to get the job done but I am pleased that I decided to tackle it myself rather than pay someone else (who knows how much!) to do it for me. I decided to replace the contacts as well as the plunger since i'd rather not have to revisit this anytime soon. The hardest part of the job for me was getting to some of the bolts, one in particular I only just had enough space to get one click out of my ratchet wrench before running out of space. Thanks to those who wrote this article!
10-26-2010, 05:33 AM
#93
Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
It is possible to remove the starter from passengar side, between the trans stick and the sway bar (4runner 3rd gen 4wd). I didn't remove anyhting else. However can only use one hand for the whole process. Installation back will require another person to assist in holding it in place from the engine compartment, while you thred the bolts in from below.
the clip is only on one side, and accessing it with one hand from below is tricky.
So press with thumb and wiggle it out.
New contacts using the clickerfixer package from e-bay
photos here
the clip is only on one side, and accessing it with one hand from below is tricky.
So press with thumb and wiggle it out.
New contacts using the clickerfixer package from e-bay
photos here
Last edited by plasmaboy; 10-26-2010 at 05:43 AM.
11-14-2010, 07:32 AM
#94
Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
3rd Gen Auto Starter Removal
It is possible to remove the starter from passengar side, between the trans stick and the sway bar (4runner 3rd gen 4wd). I didn't remove anyhting else. However can only use one hand for the whole process. Installation back will require another person to assist in holding it in place from the engine compartment, while you thred the bolts in from below.
the clip is only on one side, and accessing it with one hand from below is tricky.
So press with thumb and wiggle it out.
New contacts using the clickerfixer package from e-bay
photos here
the clip is only on one side, and accessing it with one hand from below is tricky.
So press with thumb and wiggle it out.
New contacts using the clickerfixer package from e-bay
photos here
- Found multiple locations on web for contacts & plunger. I ordered a contacts & plunger kit from Nations Starter & Alternator in Cape Girardeau, MO. Total cost: $35, included shipping. Total replacement time: about 2 hours in my garage using the tools identified earlier in this thread.
- Many thanks to those who started & improved this thread!
12-10-2010, 08:54 PM
#95
Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Just had the "1 in 40" starters reveal itself the other day in my wife's 99 2wd. It had been giving us the click for a while. At first I thought the battery terminals weren't getting good enough contact so I installed some copper shims. That seemed to do the trick for a while. Then all the clicking came back and worse than ever. So I pulled the starter relay and bench tested it. Good. That narrowed it down to the motor or the solenoid. So while I was trying to narrow it down further in my mind, (driving it all around town, mind you, because I had no idea what was really going on under the hood,) it finally happened. I was heading to a meeting on base (I'm a Marine at Pendleton) and I fired up the 4Runner. My radio was blaring, though, so I didn't hear anything. Then I caught the sound reflecting off a truck in the next lane. It almost sounded like a belt was slipping or I was bone dry in the cylinder or something. So I pulled it into a parking lot and pulled the key. Golly gee whiz, my engine's still running! So now I think I'm dieseling and I don't know what to do. I ran around like a chicken for a while looking for a wrench. (Ironically I keep no tools other than the standard jack and lugnut tools in the 4Runner because I need them in my not-quite-as-dependable 1990 F250. Ha. Go figure.) Then it makes sense all of a sudden: My solenoid is stuck closed! But I couldn't disconnect the battery and the thing was starting to stink. Then it started to smoke a little. Starting to panic a little I thought back to a small engine repair class from high school and how you could shut off a lawnmower engine with an insulated screwdriver. So I ran to the rear hatch and grabbed a jack handle with a plastic grip, touched it to the positive terminal and grounded it off the block. WHAT A NIGHTMARE!!! So now my wife's car is stuck 20 miles away from our home and I have this weekend to get it done. I cannot tell you all how happy I am to read this thread. I NEVER visit this thread. I'm always to busy on my Ford forum and the Runner honestly just never lets me down. Best vehicle I've ever owned for sure. I'll have to hop back on here and tell everybody how it goes!
09-25-2011, 01:56 PM
#97
Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Chicago
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I called about 20 auto electric shops in Chicago but couldn't get anyone to fess up to having the replacement contacts. I resorted to calling a few dealers who all said they weren't available including one parts manager who said it was stupid to swap the contacts and keep the old starter. F him, I didn't spend $150 on a replacement. Just finished mine. Thanks to whoever posted the link to 4crawler's site to get the contacts and all who contributed to this thread.
09-26-2011, 06:59 AM
#98
Did this on my brother's rig about a month ago. He says it's been cranking on the first click ever since then. I've paid around $550 to have this done at the dealer in the past, so this is a fantastic DIY writeup.
Just an FYI, we initially tried to follow the more recent thread regarding this job that states that you can change the contacts without removing the starter. We fiddled with this idea for about two hours, until finally just moving some stuff out of the way and pulling the starter.
After getting it out, it took about 30 minutes to get the parts swapped and the starter back in.
Just figured I'd tell others to go ahead and remove the starter, don't mess around with trying to change the contacts through the wheel well area.
Just an FYI, we initially tried to follow the more recent thread regarding this job that states that you can change the contacts without removing the starter. We fiddled with this idea for about two hours, until finally just moving some stuff out of the way and pulling the starter.
After getting it out, it took about 30 minutes to get the parts swapped and the starter back in.
Just figured I'd tell others to go ahead and remove the starter, don't mess around with trying to change the contacts through the wheel well area.
11-06-2011, 06:05 PM
#99
Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Chicago
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Oh hell. My contact swap job lasted a little over a month (see like 2 posts above). Apparently my starter got spooked on Halloween and decided to crap out. I dropped [wedged] in a new Azone one yesterday morning. Oddly, the solenoid housing is much smaller on the replacement....thoughts anyone? (Other than, "smaller = easier to wedge in").
04-12-2012, 07:01 PM
#100
Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Ozarks- N.Arkansas
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
This guy also sells the contacts on Ebay -http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-SET-OF-D...640b4c&vxp=mtr
