Looks like I need a new one!

The car wouldn't start yesterday, not even the hint of a noise from the starter at all. The battery checked out fine, as did the fuses, so this afternoon I pulled the starter out to have a look. I hooked it up to a spare battery and it came to life beautifully, so I put it back in and the car started without complaint. A little later I took it out for a test drive, and then spent 10 minutes laying in the gutter (which was full of water due to the rain) pulling out the starter motor again to repeat the above process. Once again, after hooking the starter motor directly to the battery, it whirred away quite happily and the car started without complaint once it was reinstalled.

I'm not quite sure just what is wrong with the starter motor for it to behave like this (it would be nice to know, if anyone can enlighten me?), but it is clearly the starter motor that is the problem. The trusty TS does have 350,000km on it after all, so I'd say the starter has served a good innings anyway.

The only other question I've got is whether anyone can tell me what sort of price I should expect for a new alternator from an auto electrician or a used one from a wrecker? Supercheap want $441 but that seems rather excessive based on the little info I have been able to glean thus far.

The auto lecs should charge you around the $260 + trade in your old alternator. ( thats how much mine was )

I paid $80 changeover from a wreckers for my starter motor.

the internals of the starter motor are plastic cogs activated by the solenoid

the plastic parts do break up and work intimittantly under load as they rotate

or the solenoid is not working

you may have a gear reduction starter motor or a normal one(something to check )

ebay has the V6 normal ones as $154 plus 22 postage new ....buy it now . no refund

you might find a good one at a wrecker

This next comment might just be crazy talk, but anyway...

A thought occurred to me that I could possibly bypass a lot of hassles with the starter until a replacement is sourced. Thus far, I have removed the starter, applied power directly to verify that it works, refitted it and started the car. The thought was that if I were to turn the ignition to 'on' (but not to 'start') and then use a jumper wire to put power direct to the starter whilst still in situ, that this would not only replicate the above mentioned test, but also start the engine, since the starter would engage with the flywheel as per normal operations, and with the ignition on it would basically be the same as if I'd started it as per normal...wouldn't it?

I know this is pretty dodgy as far as 'fixes' go, but are my assumptions basically correct even so? I wouldn't normally entertain such thoughts seriously, but I have no funds for a replacement starter before Monday, and we need to leave on Saturday to spend xmas with family and there's not a snowball's chance of getting anything shipped here in time if we waited until we've got the money to buy it anyway. At a pinch, we could delay our departure until Monday and pick one up locally (if that's even possible) first thing and be on our way straight after, but that's hardly certain either. Basically, as dodgy as this idea is, it's presently the closest thing we have to anything even approximating a guarantee that our xmas plans wont be completely stuffed. We missed xmas with the family last year due to the impending birth of our daughter, and really don't want to miss another one!

On a related note to the dodgy idea, is it is possible that the same principle that could allow it to work is also an indicator that it might in fact still be a wiring issue after all? I ask because the starter seems to work very reliably on the workbench, but not so reliably in the car, and the variable is whether the starter is connected directly to the battery or via the ignition circuit. Is it possible that the real culprit is not in fact the starter but a dodgy ignition circuit? And if so, how do I actually verify this? It's all rather confusing, I must say! :-S

check all of your terminals relating to the starter. if it doesnt work in the car, then does out, sounds like a connection problem, rather than a faulty starter.

Sounds like a good plan. What's the best way to accurately test the starter circuit to see if it really is a dodgy ignition circuit after all?

I've got a multimeter (and can pick up a test light tomorrow), but don't really know the best way to use them to confirm or eliminate this possible diagnosis. I gave the starter a good clean this afternoon, and can verify that the connections at the starter itself look good - what are the locations of other connections in the circuit that might be the source of the problem? I can check them if I know where they are, but I don't really know where I should look to start with! :-)

Otherwise while it is in nuetrel put the keys to on position. Using a bit of wire to a switch run one to the positive side of starter motor and other side of switch to the positive battery terminal. Push the switch and this should work. I think this was what I did on my old rolla when I had a loom breakdown and couldnt be ****ed replacing the wiring.

Grab a multimeter and backprobe the plugs that go to and from your starter with the diode test (beep when probes are touching/making continuity) and that'll tell you that if that single wire is connected from start to finish, you may have a broken wire somewhere in that run that makes intermittent connection?

Do it for each of the wires going to and from and then at least your runs will be OK and you can look elsewhere for the problemo.

I've got continuity in the wire from the ignition to the starter, and when the key is turned to start I get 12V. So that's starting to lean away from wiring and towards solenoid. I've pulled the starter out again, and am about to take it down to get tested properly, so hopefully that will give me a definite answer.

I called a wrecker and they can get a starter for $180 but not before next Friday, which is no good to me unfortunately. So I'm also going to get a switch and some wire and rig a connection direct from the +ve of the battery to the ignition wire on the starter, with the switch in between. That should hopefully keep it working for long enough until I can get hold of a replacement starter - it's worked quite consistently after I've put power to it directly and then refitted it, so hopefully this setup will replicate that without the hassle of having to continually remove the starter every time it doesn't start!

A good old screwdriver and bridge the teminals on the starter with the ignition on. saves taking the starter out each time!!!

Pull apart the solenoid on the starter..

There are two contacts inside each held down with a small bolt...
Usually one is much more worn than the other... they are like $10 at a good auto electrician..

i did this with my starters for years..
Super easy fix.......


Steve

Word back from the autoelectrician is that the brushes were shot, and need replacing. $85, and I can pick it up in the morning. Considering the stuffing around and cost that I was otherwise looking at, I'd call that a bargain! Best of all, it means we don't have to cancel xmas after all. :D