I know there are similar threads out there, but I’d like to get some advice from the forum nevertheless. The car has 294k miles (I would sure like to get to 300k!). Original starter was replaced 3 years ago by yours truly with an Autozone lifetime (yeah, I know. Shouldn’t have bought Autozone). I told myself never again. Worst possible place to put a starter. Well, it went out again in June. After beating myself up for buying Autozone, I decided to bite the bullet and swap it out again (Autozone, since it was lifetime). The car started fine for 2-1/2 months. Now, on 3 different occasions over the last 2 weeks, you turn the key, and nothing. On all 3 occasions, nothing I did could get it to start. I tested engine ground, neutral safety switch (toggling it between park and neutral), starter relay (you can hear it click. Once per start attempt), ignition switch (starter relay wouldn’t click if the switch was bad. Using jumpers makes no difference. On all 3 occasions (twice after towing the vehicle and once trying it the next day), it started right up and acted perfectly fine. Today, after sitting all night in a parking lot and trying unsuccessfully for 1 hour to get it started, I towed it ½ mile with a rope back to my driveway. I got in, turned the key, and it started! Several times in a row. An hour later, I went out and it wouldn’t crank again. This no crank situation seems to come out of the blue and go away just as mysteriously. Is the starter bad again? I can’t tap on it and I can’t jumper across the solenoid (like traditionally designed starter locations) to test it. Loose connection at the starter solenoid? Maybe. But to suddenly fix itself for no apparent reason doesn’t make sense either. Any suggestions before I pull the intake manifold again? My wife says to junk it. Despite some rust issues, it’s too fine a ride to do that just yet.

 

Did you check for corrosion inside the battery terminals? Your symptoms were a random occurrence on my LS400, then one day the battery failed without warning and when I replaced it the starter problem went away.

 

May be a connection somewhere, arced and/or worn contact, agree with bbtri battery cables may be best place to start....

 

I don't have an answer for you, but more and more it seems that random issues are solved by fixing issues with the battery or cables. I would definitely rule these out.

Two random issues that I've seen personally, which may or may not help:
1. I had a random no start on a Grand Am once that ended up being a starter solenoid that was either loose or not making good contact
2. A relative has an Avalon that had random no starts, and it ended up being a worn shifter bushing. The car was just barely in neutral when the shifter appeared to be in park.

 

Thanks for all of your suggestions. After a couple more no-starts and further troubleshooting, I decided to take the plunge and replace the starter once again. I was able to convince my local Autozone to not only provide free intake manifold gaskets but upgrade the starter to a new, not rebuilt Duralast Gold starter. That was 3 days ago and not a hiccup since. Keeping my fingers crossed. 300k, here we come!

 

Am very glad to read your good news. And, sorry you had the headaches before. Hope you may go to 400,000 without an issue!

 

Click the link below and place the order today. This way you'll have the part when the Duralast "Gold" dies. Notice I said when not if...
https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo...373857&jsn=451

 

Good, glad it's working out for you! Hey, you should do a how-to and share your tips and tricks on replacing the starter! You've probably done it more times than most. Please...

 

I hope you didn't junk a perfect car for a bad starter Solenoid. Just don't buy that remanufactured Chinese junk from AUTO ZONE.