thanks for the excellent description. i burst out laughing when you said: "insert new starater into the same hole you took the old one out of etc...." that was very funny.

 

Whyy do you stay away from AutoZone rebuilt electrical parts?

 

Anyone reading this old thread should learn how to rebuild the starter. Very easy to do and the parts are inexpensive.

 

In my experience, they are hit and miss as far as reliability. I just posted to someone else that I'd rather use an OEM salvage yard unit than an auto parts store rebuilt starter or alternator. This is especially true if the starter/alternator is hard to replace, like the one on the LS series. Rebuilding them yourself is a good idea, but oftentimes it is a matter of time i.e. you need the car to be fixed now, not 2 or 3 days from now.

 

I just replaced both of the starters on my rides (see below) with Denso remans from RockAuto. Cost per each was $104 after core returns. I had rebuilt the solenoids twice on both vehicles over the past 11 years, with new contacts and plungers. I never had any failures or "clicking" when starting, I just like to replace things before they start giving warning signs. There was a noticeable difference in perceived rotational speed and force with the new starters, but I don't have any scientific data to prove this. The reason I decided to get the remans was that on my Lexus, about 6 weeks ago, there was a "screech" from the starter when I tried to start it. It never did it again, but when I got home I immediately ordered the Denso from RockAuto. And since the engines are the same, I decided to go ahead and do the Highlander while the procedure was fresh in my head. Both of the old starters had noticeable wear on the gear teeth when I compared them to the remans. That wear was the "screech" I heard on the Lexus.