Starter Or Battery Problem?

[grand lexus]

Several months ago I when I tried to start my 2000 ES 300 I got a clicking sound similar to what I had experienced in some of my earlier cars when the starter or solenoid were bad. So I checked the battery connection and the fluid level. One cell was a little low, but no where near dry—just noticeably lower than the others. I added fluid, tapped the battery terminals gently and the car started right up. A few days later it did the same thing. The battery water was OK and a couple more gentle taps on the battery started the car right up. Later, it did it again. So I checked to see if the lights were dim before I tapped the battery. They were not. Anyway, this went on for a couple of months. 9 out of 10 times the car would start fine.

I left the car with my daughter while I was away on business. I showed her how to tap the battery, which she had to do once or twice. But one day she tapped and tapped but the sucker would not start. She had to have it towed and was told it was the starter.

When I returned, I tried to start it and it would not fire up. So I put it in gear and rolled it a yard or two hoping that would engage the starter. It did not. I tried rolling it again. Still nothing. So I jumped it from my truck and it started without a problem. I started fine (about 20 times) since... until this morning.

The car has been sitting in the garage for a couple of days without being started. It is cold here in Colorado, 20F this morning, though not quite that cold in the garage. When I tried to start it, it did not click as in the past but instead started to turn over (for half a second) then nothing. I turned the key off and tried again and it fired up.

Toyota (no Lexus dealer in the area) says they cannot tell me if it is the starter or not. They have to ‘experience’ the clicking. Is there really no way to test a starter or solenoid? Can the battery be tested enough to determine if it is the cause?

One last bit of info for this lengthy story: Lexus installed a new engine in the car at the start of this year. Old one was bad due to sludge. The battery looks like the original. An 84-month warrantied

[yeskay]

i had a camry which did the same thing. once in a while i hear the click (which is the relay open/close) but won't start. it was the starter contacts that went bad. if you are hands on you can put the new contacts yourself. any toyota dealership carries those contacts for the denso starters.

[homemechanic]

yes.. . there are instruments and gauges to test both the start and battery on the vehicle w/o having to remove them. Kragen at west coast would do that at no charge. Probably auto part store chains in your area might do that do.

To have a more accurate testing, they recommend testing each component individually inside the store with a machine. they can literally put your starter on a machine and run a battery of tests to stimulate engine starting conditions.

by the way, tapping your battery too much may not be the best thing to do. too much tapping can short the plates inside the battery causing it to malfunction.

[grand lexus]

Thanks for the info. I thought there were ways of testing both. Wonder why Toyota did not suggest it??? I promise that I don't 'bash' the battery terminals. Just little, tiny taps. That has been enough (usually) to do the trick.

yes.. . there are instruments and gauges to test both the start and battery on the vehicle w/o having to remove them. Kragen at west coast would do that at no charge. Probably auto part store chains in your area might do that do.

To have a more accurate testing, they recommend testing each component individually inside the store with a machine. they can literally put your starter on a machine and run a battery of tests to stimulate engine starting conditions.

by the way, tapping your battery too much may not be the best thing to do. too much tapping can short the plates inside the battery causing it to malfunction.

[grand lexus]

I like that starter contacts suggestion. The irregularity of the starting problem smell like a loose connection somewhere.... but maybe it is just my thinking that has the loose connection!

[wwest]

I like that starter contacts suggestion. The irregularity of the starting problem smell like a loose connection somewhere.... but maybe it is just my thinking that has the loose connection!

Due to constant exposure to battery out-gassing, corrosive out-gassing, the battery connections are constantly being corroded. Your having to "tap" the post is a definitive indication of this corrosion. Remove the battery terminals, clean and burnish the battery posts and the inside of the connections. Actually it's not altogether a bad idea to follow that procedure at least once a year, usually in the early spring.

Once the corrosion gets so bad that "tapping" is needed it will often move quickly to the point wherein the battery cannot be quickly or fully charged due to the resistance to current flow in those connections.

[grand lexus]

Thank you. That was the first thing I tried when this problem started, since that is about the limit of my mechanical abilities. The terminals and connections were clean and tight. But just for the fun of it, I will go over them again.

I like that starter contacts suggestion. The irregularity of the starting problem smell like a loose connection somewhere.... but maybe it is just my thinking that has the loose connection!

[grand lexus]

Looks like it is probably the starter. Checked the battery connections. They were good. But still got clicking sound. So I took out a block of wood and a rubber mallet and gave the starter a couple of taps. It started. Turned it off, and it clicked again. Used the wood and mallet again and it started again.

[yeskay]

Looks like it is probably the starter. Checked the battery connections. They were good. But still got clicking sound. So I took out a block of wood and a rubber mallet and gave the starter a couple of taps. It started. Turned it off, and it clicked again. Used the wood and mallet again and it started again.

exactly. it is the starter contact that gets worn out/corroded due to high electrical impedence. the wood and mallet basically clears up the corrosion temporarily. usually it is the contact towards the motor that gets corroded faster. you can get step by step diy instruction from toyotanation forum.