SC300 doesn't start sometimes! (Video)
05-02-13, 03:42 PM
#1
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SC300 doesn't start sometimes! (Video)
I have a weird starter issue and don't know if it's the starter that's going bad or something else. Lately every morning and every afternoon when i get out of work it's been taking about 2-8 turns to start my engine up. When I say turns, I mean turning my key to start the engine (see video). I get a faint tick/click when I try to start it up. There are times that the engine turns over just slighty but doesnt turn on (flyweel trying to crank the engine?) but most of the time it just does the click/tick sound. Eventually when it starts up the engine runs fine and if I shut the engine off and immediately turn it back on it starts back up on the first try.
I had Autozone test the battery and it checked out fine.
Anyone ever experience this? What did it end up being?
I had Autozone test the battery and it checked out fine.
Anyone ever experience this? What did it end up being?
05-02-13, 04:14 PM
#4
Looks/sounds/seems to me like it's a wiring issue. Any CEL? I assume not.
I personally would think it to be logical that the starter is fine...sounds perfect, turns over and starts right up when it does...and it also sounds like it has plenty of juice for the battery to power the starter. I'd check the ground, and maybe the terminal wires are broken or lashed somewhere...
I personally would think it to be logical that the starter is fine...sounds perfect, turns over and starts right up when it does...and it also sounds like it has plenty of juice for the battery to power the starter. I'd check the ground, and maybe the terminal wires are broken or lashed somewhere...
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05-02-13, 05:39 PM
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Looks/sounds/seems to me like it's a wiring issue. Any CEL? I assume not.
I personally would think it to be logical that the starter is fine...sounds perfect, turns over and starts right up when it does...and it also sounds like it has plenty of juice for the battery to power the starter. I'd check the ground, and maybe the terminal wires are broken or lashed somewhere...
I personally would think it to be logical that the starter is fine...sounds perfect, turns over and starts right up when it does...and it also sounds like it has plenty of juice for the battery to power the starter. I'd check the ground, and maybe the terminal wires are broken or lashed somewhere...
I will check the terminal wires and the connections to the battery tommorrow. Is it possible that the starter can be "on it's way out"? When a starter starts to go out does it have these type of symptoms where it just takes a few times to start up? Or does it just one day completely stop starting?
The other thing I was thinking is could it be possible that the key is the culprit? Is there a small battery that powers the theft device inside the key? Perhaps the battery can be dying and the ignition is not recognizing the key? Sorry if that sounds a little ignorant....
05-02-13, 05:54 PM
#9
You hear a tick/click every time you try to start the car. That is the relay/solenoid so that is good.
You know what though, it might be your starter that is going out. I just read an instance where an RX300 had the "sometimes start" problem. He replaced the starter and it was good to go. Just a thought.
About the key...yeah, IDK if it has that, probably not. Though it also could be the ignition key receiver itself...but i doubt it.
You know what though, it might be your starter that is going out. I just read an instance where an RX300 had the "sometimes start" problem. He replaced the starter and it was good to go. Just a thought.
About the key...yeah, IDK if it has that, probably not. Though it also could be the ignition key receiver itself...but i doubt it.
05-03-13, 06:22 AM
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You hear a tick/click every time you try to start the car. That is the relay/solenoid so that is good.
You know what though, it might be your starter that is going out. I just read an instance where an RX300 had the "sometimes start" problem. He replaced the starter and it was good to go. Just a thought.
About the key...yeah, IDK if it has that, probably not. Though it also could be the ignition key receiver itself...but i doubt it.
You know what though, it might be your starter that is going out. I just read an instance where an RX300 had the "sometimes start" problem. He replaced the starter and it was good to go. Just a thought.
About the key...yeah, IDK if it has that, probably not. Though it also could be the ignition key receiver itself...but i doubt it.
Here's another video...today it took me well over 15 tries to start it up. I think it's getting worse as days go by. Also, note how initially you can hear it kind of want to start then the rest of the times it does nothing. When it finally turns on you can hear it take a while, would that be a clue of some sort?
05-03-13, 07:14 AM
#11
starter contacts are worn down and need to be replaced. you are lucky you have a 300 and not a 400.
as a test next time that happens you can pop the hood and tap the side of the starter with something (tap don't whale on it), and then the car should start right up. We all have to do the starter contacts sooner or later, same thing happened to me, it will get worse every day to where you have to tap it.
the starter has 2 circuits, when you turn the key you activate the first circuit in the starter, and a plunger comes shooting down the side of it and at the end of the plunger is a ring which hits 2 contacts, when it hits the 2 contacts it bridges the gap between battery power and ground, and then the motor turns over.
The tick you are hearing is the plunger shooting down and bottoming out before it hits both contacts, because the plunger has shot down every time you start the car over time the contacts wear down from the impact, and eventually the plunger goes from consistently hitting both contacts, to only hitting both sometimes and making the tick sound, and eventually never hitting the second one until you beat on the side of the starter, and soon after not starting at all.
you just have to open it up and replace the 2 contacts on the sides, clean up the plunger, and that should give you another 150k of good starting at the least, and the plunger will go back to consistently hitting both contacts. you will be surprised looking at the old and new ones, the new ones will be much much thicker.
as a test next time that happens you can pop the hood and tap the side of the starter with something (tap don't whale on it), and then the car should start right up. We all have to do the starter contacts sooner or later, same thing happened to me, it will get worse every day to where you have to tap it.
the starter has 2 circuits, when you turn the key you activate the first circuit in the starter, and a plunger comes shooting down the side of it and at the end of the plunger is a ring which hits 2 contacts, when it hits the 2 contacts it bridges the gap between battery power and ground, and then the motor turns over.
The tick you are hearing is the plunger shooting down and bottoming out before it hits both contacts, because the plunger has shot down every time you start the car over time the contacts wear down from the impact, and eventually the plunger goes from consistently hitting both contacts, to only hitting both sometimes and making the tick sound, and eventually never hitting the second one until you beat on the side of the starter, and soon after not starting at all.
you just have to open it up and replace the 2 contacts on the sides, clean up the plunger, and that should give you another 150k of good starting at the least, and the plunger will go back to consistently hitting both contacts. you will be surprised looking at the old and new ones, the new ones will be much much thicker.
Last edited by Ali SC3; 05-03-13 at 07:21 AM.
