RICKLITE

Starter Clicks But Won't Engage Intermittently. Battery Is New And Has 13 Volts. It Is Progressivly Getty Worst. Help???

knittel1

Ricklite,

Check the starter contacts.
Go to ih8mud.com 100 series and search for srarter contacts.
The guys on that forum are awesome.

20blks

That's strange. I'm trying to program a new key and it does that exact same thing. Just clicks and doesn't turn over. Are you sure that key is programmed?

ToyLexmods

Your help is in the search button. Search=help.

Search topic= starter contacts, starter, starter click

ktiger

My 2000 LX is at the dealer right now with the exact same problem. It would just click every now and then but all of a sudden it was every time we tried to start the car. The tech said the starter needed to be replaced. The part is covered by the certified warrenty so I won't know the cost until I pick the car up on Monday. We have about 95,000 miles on the car.

makulaf

not a fix but it will get you going in a pinch. Tap the starter lightly with a wrench while someone turns the key.

vcheng

The starter is UNDER the intake manifold. How do you propose getting a wrench to it for tapping when you cannot even see it?

GSteg

iTrader: (15)

I had the same problem with my GS400 last saturday. Decided that the starter was running down to it's last few starts, so I didn't want to take any chances. Got a new OEM starter replaced by a small shop for $600 out the door.

At least now it starts every single time

V8_Fan

Starter for a '03 LC/LX can be bought online from toyota dealers for under $200. Contacts/plunger only are under $50. Everything else is all labor (you need to pull off the intake manifold...lots of hoses & stuff). I think the Toyota dealer charges like $500 or so. I'm sure Lexus will charge more, but no worries since it's under warranty.

dpeele

does anyone have a diagram or pic of some sort of whaere the contact set is on the engine end?

dougjohn

Specify, please, which model -- the LX 450 or the Lx 470.

RPH74

Definitely sounds like the starter contacts to me. I had the same exact symptoms..I'm the guy that wrote the long write up for the procedure on the Ih8mud board, so if you have any questions about it, just ask.

Chris