pieisgude

iTrader: (2)

Well, as the title states, my starter went bad. And it's pretty inconveniently parked on the street, needless to say, i don't really feel like getting under it and doing the work on the street. If that's what i have to do to replace/fix the starter, then i will by all means, but seeing as my car is relatively low to the ground, it makes fitting a jack anywhere under the car nearly impossible, without moving it up onto ramps. I see where it is in the engine bay, i'm just not quite sure where the bolts are that hold it in place, so i'm not quite sure if i can get it from the bay, assuming i have like 3 feet of extensions and a u-joint. Any help is appreciated, thanks in advance!

Carlo

sweetchuck

short answer ...no. start with scissor jack and put it on stands you have a sub frame to maneuver around. do not skimp on this. do it right.

Ali SC3

iTrader: (10)

It can be done from the bay and / or underneath.
the ones you want are closer to the transmission, which hold the starter on.
There are 2 long studs with nuts on them that are on the starter itself that hold the 2 sections together, don't undo those.

over40driv

You dont state if you have a 300 or 400.

bryan767

iTrader: (6)

iv done it on a 1jz in a parking lot with a jack and two jackstands. Youll need a universal joint and a few extensions but id imagine itd be the same for all years/motors. two bolts holding it on plus the nut that holds the power wire.


REMOVE YOUR BATTERY BEFORE YOU START

pieisgude

iTrader: (2)

Well, with a couple of jacks and some jackstands, i managed to rip it out on the street. And yeah, it's an SC300, so it was MUCH easier than it is for you SC400 guys.

Now i got a question, how do i know if my contacts are bad? I was getting a click sound every time i tried to start it, so clearly something was worn or whatever. Is it just the contacts that i should replace? I'm gonna go to the dealership in the morning to get this stuff hopefully and try to get her back on the road asap. I hate not driving her. lol.

over40driv

Depends on how lucky you feel. I am a starter rebuilder and have tried just replacing the contacts before with poor results. The problem is you dont know the life of all the other parts in the starter. Best bet is to get an O.E Denso or Denso reman. starter.

Ali SC3

iTrader: (10)

on the sc300/400 type starter it is almost always the contacts.
If you get the click and nothing more, I can pretty much tell you it is the contacts.

Toyota sells the rebuild kit for these starters. if you take your old ones to them they can double check as well.
remove the cap, replace the 2 contacts on the sides, pull out the plunger just to clean the top ring part of it that is supposed to touch the contacts, and thats about it.

don't hold the whole thing upside down or anything when the plunger is out, other stuff may work its way out.