What's going on guys. My girlfriend has a 01 GS300 and was driving home yesterday. She Parked, turned off the car, then decided to fix her parking and tried turning on the car again. She told me that it wasn't starting.

I walk down to her car and try starting it myself. The steering wheel didn't move and no cranking or beeping sounds from the car.

I open the hood to see if the battery might have been disconnected, but it looked fine. I went back into the car and tried starting it and it started up fine.

What would be the problem here? I don't believe it's the alternator since the car started up fine. Battery is brand new, probably 3-4 months old. Would there be some connection issues with the starter? Any help would be great. Thanks guys.

 

I would look at the battery terminal first open the door and move the negative terminal and connector back and forth see if it is loose. if you move it and then the door starts to make a beeping noise you know its a connection issue. I had a issue like this it ended up being the connection


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i had this problem before. New starter is most likely cause.

In this case, I would just replace it even without confirmation. Diagnosis of the problem will cost you more then just replacing it.

 

Starter contacts

 

I agree ^^^

 

Thanks for the input guys. I am not sure what you are talking about when you mean "Open the door and move the negative terminal and connector"

It happened again yesterday and I just wiggled the positive battery terminal and it started working again.. Maybe I need to just secure it? It's not too loose..I mean, everything was connected tightly.

 

CHANGE THE BATTERY TERMINALS!!!! Very cheap parts from the dealer and you will notice the difference on how they clamp onto the battery. If that does not fix it, it is most definitely your starter or a defective battery which is not unheard of, it happens, especially from autozone. Since you have the 300 your lucky changing the starter is a walk in the park, if it was a 430 I would have said avoid that at all costs since its super labor intensive.

 

Thanks for the input. My girlfriend has the GS300. If this were to happen in my GS400, I heard it was a PITA.

 

oh yeaaaa, my car was doing that wouldnt start at random times, the mechanic was saying the starter, I changed the terminals and it never happened again. Knock on wood I havent had to change the starter on my 430 and I hope I never have to

 

Very rarely do these starters go bad.9/10 it's the contacts within the starter.

 

Yea but you have to replace the whole starter you can't just change the contacts right ?

 

Found out the problem guys. It WAS a connection issue. Apparently the mechanic that worked on the GS previously did not tie down the battery or the terminal all the way (some basic ******)

Fastened everything down and no problems anymore!

 

I knewwwwwwwwww it was those damn battery terminals!! Same thing happened to me a long time ago on the highway

 

Not right.

 

pretty sure most if not all toyota starter contacts are fairly easily replaceable