My car has been throwing a knock sensor code intermittently for about 2 years. I finally decided to change the knock sensors and throw in a starter while I was in there. That's where the nightmare began, lol. I bought a rebuilt starter on Ebay and installed it (after almost giving up on getting those damn starter bolts out. I put the intake back on and plugged the fuel line in and decided to see if the thing worked before I put the car back together. It whirred but the engine didn't crank over. Pulled it back out and bench tested it. It worked. Compared it to my old starter. A match. Then I noticed I hadn't taken the nut off the main power screw and decided that was the problem. Reinstalled it. Intake back on. Same test. Same result. Pulled it off and installed my old starter. No difference. Yeah, I'm in deep. So I'm wondering what I'm missing. Do I need to plug everything else back in for this thing to work?

 

Sorry for your trouble. So it whirrs but the engine doesn't crank over. I worry that the stroke of the pinion gear is not sufficient. How much does it come out when you bench test it?

 

Frustrating to assemble and disassemble so many times I'm sure. I'm curious about your knock sensors and if that fixes the problem. For my 99 LS400 I've replaced the sensors and they still throw a code when you get to freeway speeds. Please let us know if replacing them fixes it.


Rich

 

I compared it side by side with my old working starter. The pinion gears came out about the same distance. Maybe an inch or an inch and a half roughly.

 

What is condition of Knock Sensor wiring harness and plastic connector shells?

Condition of engine negative grounds: bolts, lugs....etc.?

Did you install OEM or aftermarket knock sensors?

Lose the aftermarket starter and purchase a Denso unit.

 

Well the knock sensors are allegedly Toyota with the correct part number. Bought on eBay and didn't cost $200, so who knows? The starter motor has 12.6 volts at the power bolt. Battery is brand new.
The starter is a Denso.

 

Problem solved. I knew the problem had to be with the way I installed the starter, since a known good starter also failed to start the car. My mistake was in how I ran the starter down the bolts, getting the starter slightly cockeyed. After work, I paid attention to how flush the starter was and then started the bolts. The difference was immediate as the bolts went in effortlessly, as opposed to the time-consuming ordeal it was the first three times. I knew even before I tried starting it that it would work, and it did. Big sigh of relief. I was damn close to waving the white flag and sending it to a shop.

 

What's odd is that mine throws the code when I'm going up the drive to my house. Like 90% of the time. Weird. But on the freeway is the worst. Performance goes straight to hell. I'll let you know if it solves the problem.