5L diesel starter motor questions...

[AE85.6]

First of all the symptoms...

Possibly starter is on the way out, cranks fairly slow from time to time which I think the battery maybe be helping although not root cause.

Now a couple times when starting I had no crank and just heard I think the solenoid click, if I tap the starter it will crank the next time.

If replacement is the way to go then fine but just want to know how interchangeable the "L" series starters ? i.e 2/2Lt/3/5L engines ?
I know there is a few different ones which are mainly due to 4x4 ones having battery lead on the other side ? but I have also heard there is a reduction type one which could be good for easier cranking although I do not know what car to check for these from ???

This would be to suit a 2wd ln85 hilux fitted with a 5L and only 1x battery on the drivers side.

Cheers all,
Mike.

[gepsk8]

say both starter & Battery

[mikeBrotherd]

Im 99% sure that your starter will already be a reduction type. As for your symptoms, very common on toyota diesel starters for the solenoid contacts and brushes to get worn (they wear down with normal use)

They are quite easy to remove from the vehicle and even easier to repair. Almost all sparky shops will hold the parts needed to repair on stock and also If you take the starter into a shop i wouldn't expect to pay more then $150 all up.

Dont bother trying to find a S/H unit as it'll cost more then repairing yours

EDIT: ohh and it always helps to just replace your batt if its over 5years old (about the best service life on a diesel vehicle). Try to replace it with the same size, should be something like an NS70 or at least a 13plate type with 500CCA or bigger

[AE85.6]

Cheers guys.

Ye I think at this stage it is a bit of both starter and battery and yes it has a ns70 in it at the mo so don't wanna go any smaller that that anyway.

Will still try to pinch the old mans meter on the weekend and see if it drops badly at crank as I think it is getting a bit tired, if it is ill start with swapping the battery then look at getting the starter reco'd maybe, I thought diesel ones were a bit different to petrol ones like had a different gearbox type centre or something ? Also I saw some on trade me saying 10 tooth and some 11 tooth so thought more teeth, more reduction and easier crank ?

[ee904age]

Also I saw some on trade me saying 10 tooth and some 11 tooth so thought more teeth, more reduction and easier crank ?

No doubt someone will correct me if Im wrong, but you would only be able to replace a 10T with a 10T, and a 11T with a 11T, as changing it would make it not mate up with your ring gear. (Oh, and more teeth would effectively be higher gearing, therefore working the starter harder)

[AE85.6]

Well yes that's what I thought but from memory it was advertised as a 11 tooth reduction type starter motor and an upgrade over 10 tooth ones ?

Might try and find the add again to re-read,
But I thought if the starter gear was 11 tooth and a bigger size it could still mesh into flywheel as normal but as I said I may just have read the add wrong.

[mikeBrotherd]

Petrol and diesel definitely have a different ratio reduction, but the biggest difference is in the Kw rating of the starter. Seeing as you have a 5L engine i would say if its a genuine starter, it'll already be a pretty good rating, hence rebuild your one if you have to.

Yes if you remove a 10T, you replace it with a 10T.....generally... there is the exception on some bigger truck diesels and non-genuine starters. If you have a 10T and you get a 13T after-market unit, chances are it'll have an offset center to counter having more teeth. No real way of saying what will and won't fit though just off what engine they were removed from. Also on the same note, even if it does have more teeth, it wont necessarily work any harder as they accommodate the difference at the drive through the reduction gears

[matt dunn]

Yes if you remove a 10T, you replace it with a 10T.....generally...

It is quite common to replace starters with different number of teeth,
as the number of teeth is suited to the starter housing, ones with larger pinions are more off centered but still fit.

Mitsi's are quite common to interchange 9 to 13 tooth starters.


there are at least 5 different L series diesil starters.
they all interchange, but some have different connectors for the operating terminal, and there are large bodied ones and small bodied ones.

[allencr]

Lower ratio/higher number, less starter load, IS NOT getting a starter with more teeth!

[matt dunn]

Lower ratio/higher number, less starter load, IS NOT getting a starter with more teeth!

On paper you'd think it makes a difference,
in the real world it does not.

They are the most common starters we see.
We run 5 of them as exchange units at work,
and send them out and get them back without knowing what version you get back. Have never had a problem in 16 years and you cant tell hear or measure the difference between the starters.

The load on them usually makes no difference as the contact wear out 10x more than anything to do with the load on the motor.
Only thing that affects the life is normally the number of times you start it,
not the load on them.

[mikeBrotherd]

Lower ratio/higher number, less starter load, IS NOT getting a starter with more teeth!

On paper you'd think it makes a difference,
in the real world it does not.

They are the most common starters we see.
We run 5 of them as exchange units at work,
and send them out and get them back without knowing what version you get back. Have never had a problem in 16 years and you cant tell hear or measure the difference between the starters.

The load on them usually makes no difference as the contact wear out 10x more than anything to do with the load on the motor.
Only thing that affects the life is normally the number of times you start it,
not the load on them.

Auto Sparky?

[matt dunn]

Auto Sparky?

How'd you guess?

[mikeBrotherd]

Mostly the familiar sounding workplace

[AE85.6]

Thanks for all the info guys,
Battery seemed to drop a bit low at crank so threw another in which was a bit of an improvement and I thought for a while even a solve, but sadly the starter is still sticking from time to time.

If all the starter options are fairly similar I think I might just take the starter off and drop to my auto sparky for the overhaul and go from there.

Hopefully that works for now but I also think the alternator could be a lil slow so that may be next on the watch...

[MAGN1T]

Toyotas often have wiring faults that cause that. Is it manual or auto?

Best to test everything properly first / proper diagnosis.

Steve

[matt dunn]

, but adly the starter is still sticking from time to time.

What do you mean by sticking.

Do you mean when you go to start it just goes click and nothing happens?

Matt

[AE85.6]

Matt,
ha ye sorry mean turn key and nothing happens or hear a click but no crank, prob more accurate than saying it sticks...

MAGN1T,
Ute is a manual,
When you say common wiring issues what should I be checking ?
I could not see anything obviously loose or anything, I was planning to clean all the earths and make sure any other connections are tight and not oily or corroded looking but have not as yet.

[MAGN1T]

MAGN1T,
Ute is a manual,
When you say common wiring issues what should I be checking ?
I could not see anything obviously loose or anything, I was planning to clean all the earths and make sure any other connections are tight and not oily or corroded looking but have not as yet.

I've never seen an point in swapping parts by guesswork without testing them first.
You need a voltmeter, hook it up to the solenoid connection and earth. Measure the voltage at the connection when you turn the key.
If it goes click but doesn't crank, you'll either have 12V, 0V or somewhere in between at the connection.
If there's 12V, the starter motor will be dud.
If there's not 12V then maybe the problem is elsewhere.
Often toyota inhibitor switches go high resistance but that only affects the autos. The manuals often have a relay in between the key switch and the starter solenoid.

Steve

[AE85.6]

MAGN1T:
Cheers for that.

I have had someone go over it earlier on with a multimeter to test battery and whatever else that it could be at the time however couldn't get it to do the no crank while being tested, not sure if that could test same as what you have mentioned or not but it is probably more my lack of electrical knowledge to say what they tested and how as I don't really know how to drive a multimeter myself ???

I have since dropped the starter to my auto sparky for a reco and has been going sweet since.

Replaced worn contacts, plunger, refaced armature parts and clean and lube everything else. He said the contacts were worn but not rooted.