Starter motor for a van

**HungusMaximist** · 14th July 2009, 16:29

OK. Got a 94 Toyota Estima and I know the starter motor is gone.

2 options - get a second hand one from the wreckers or get it rebuilt from a auto sparky.

I am in Auckland.

Going price for a second hand starter is $120 + GST, if rebuilding one with new brushes is way cheaper and it might be the way.

Suggestion? And any indication of cost for a rebuilding one?

Chur

**jim.cox** · 14th July 2009, 16:31

Generally the cost is in getting the starter out and back in. Can you do that for yourself?

**ajturbo** · 14th July 2009, 16:40

buy a house on a hill

**Ixion** · 14th July 2009, 16:41

If it's just brushes, they're cheap as. Maybe $5 or so. Get them from repco, but you need to take the starter with you , cos there are different versions. Other thing it could be is the solenoid coil. Also cheap. IF (bloody big IF) you can actually get at the starter motor, removing it is usually just a couple of bolts. All depends on how much shit is on top of it.

**HungusMaximist** · 14th July 2009, 16:42

I can pull it out easy. Just never pulled much out from a car though.

Yea rang around, they mentioned they have to assess it first to determine what needs changing. Could be contacts or brushes, or both....

**HungusMaximist** · 14th July 2009, 16:43

I mean I could do it, if I knew how and what to do.

Auto sparkys are charging anywhere from $100 - 190, depending on what needs to be done.

Chur.

**FROSTY:Me** · 14th July 2009, 16:44

petrol/diesel??
How long ya gonna keep it?
have ya tried the wrecker on rosebank road ? -pretty sharp prices

**HungusMaximist** · 14th July 2009, 16:49

Petrol.

94 Toyota Estima. Gonna keep it. Need it to cart stuff around.

Going price is around the $130 bux from the places I rang.

If I could do it, I can get it re-conditioned myrself. But if it's too much hassle and cheaper to get a 2nd hand one then I'll swing that way.

**Ixion** · 14th July 2009, 16:51

Depends on model , of course.

but generally along the lines of

Rip starter out
Remove solenoid (the bit the cable was fastened to)
Connect solenoid across a battery and see if it jumps around.
If it does, remove couple of long bolts through starter and bash it apart
Mark everything first so y' can put it back as it was.
Pull brushes out - little black slidely things with a bit of copper attached
Replace ditto.
reassemble and test (out of car is OK)
If it works, replace
Otherwise report back here

**Motu** · 14th July 2009, 17:37

Pointless getting a second hand one - it's out of a car as fucked as your's....you're not stupid are you? Get a sparky to rebuild it for you - they will clean up the com on a lathe if it needs it,solder in brushes if they don't have terminals.They will do a far better job than you can,and it'll last longer than the rest of the heap of shit.

Best thing is,if it craps out again you can come on KB and name and shame.

**CookMySock** · 14th July 2009, 22:11

Originally Posted by Ixion

If it's just brushes, they're cheap as.

Yep. Theres nothing complicated about a starter motor. Theres two brushes, two bushes, a contactor, and a few other mechanical doohickys, and with it open on the bench it is abundantly clear what goes where.

Whip it out (easier said than done on the that car I am told) and pull it apart. You don't have anything to lose.

Remember to take the battery leads off the battery before you do anything. If its the brushes then replace both of them. If its the contactor, then flip the contact ring over or replace the terminals - whatever is needed. If you want to do 100,000kms in it, replace all of the above, and the bushes (bearings) too.

Don't be afraid of starter motors.

Steve

**HungusMaximist** · 15th July 2009, 09:01

Originally Posted by Motu

Pointless getting a second hand one - it's out of a car as fucked as your's....you're not stupid are you? Get a sparky to rebuild it for you - they will clean up the com on a lathe if it needs it,solder in brushes if they don't have terminals.They will do a far better job than you can,and it'll last longer than the rest of the heap of shit.

Best thing is,if it craps out again you can come on KB and name and shame.

Yea however it could cost more than a second hand one, however if it's gonna last longer then good.

Originally Posted by DangerousBastard

Yep. Theres nothing complicated about a starter motor. Theres two brushes, two bushes, a contactor, and a few other mechanical doohickys, and with it open on the bench it is abundantly clear what goes where.

Whip it out (easier said than done on the that car I am told) and pull it apart. You don't have anything to lose.

Remember to take the battery leads off the battery before you do anything. If its the brushes then replace both of them. If its the contactor, then flip the contact ring over or replace the terminals - whatever is needed. If you want to do 100,000kms in it, replace all of the above, and the bushes (bearings) too.

Don't be afraid of starter motors.

Steve

How can I identify and isolate the issue? Btw, where can I get parts for starter motors?

Chur.

**CookMySock** · 15th July 2009, 09:56

Originally Posted by HungusMaximist

How can I identify and isolate the issue? Btw, where can I get parts for starter motors?

Don't be afraid of it. Pull the bugger off, wipe the spooge off of it, and plonk it on the table, and get your screwdriver set and your socket set out, start seperating the major parts. Once you have got it apart, stop and gaze at it for 20mins and roll a smoke, have a coffee, or whatever it is you do, and imagine how it all works. Theres nothing complicated in it, as you will see. It's just a big fat relay (contacts maybe worn), an electric motor (brushes maybe too short), or that sort of crap.

Parts, repco or auto electricians. Some things like brushes can be filed to the correct size.

How exactly did it die? Has it been unreliable for some time?

Steve

**HungusMaximist** · 15th July 2009, 11:22

Originally Posted by DangerousBastard

How exactly did it die? Has it been unreliable for some time?

Steve

Funny that, it's works sometimes then sometimes it doesn't work. But it's been an ongoing thing with the van. But I think it's finally dead now.

You go and turn the key, it goes 'click, click' and when I rang up a auto sparky they he mentioned the toyota are known for contacts dying out.

I'll keep ya updated.

The other issue now is getting the van into my garage from a slope?....