Wont turn over!

[sackett]

Hey! New to the site, pretty cool! I guess I will pick your brains for a moment. I have an 89 camry. v6. I picked it up at an auction a couple weeks ago 160,000 miles on it, not in bad shape. Anyway I drove it home but now it wont turn over. The battery has 12.68 volts and looks pretty new. I replaced the starter and battery terminals. The cables look pretty good and clean. All it does when you hit the key is you kind of hear the solinoid (I am assuming toyota solinoids are attached to the starters.) engage. But nothing else. when you turn the key on the obligitory lights on the dash come on and everything seems normal(but obviusly not.) every once in a while it suddenly will turn over and start just like nothings wrong, but then it will go back to its old ways again. this is my first Toyota. So I dont know much about how they are set up. Are there any fuses, relays, anything I should be checking? Any help would be much appreciated!! Thanks, Roy

[cam2Xrunner]

Sounds like the starter is bad. It is not grabbing the teeth on the gear. If you try 5 or more times it will catch a tooth that hasn't broke off yet. Its pretty easy to change the starter.

[Nick]

give the starter motor a bit of love with a hammer handle

[5Sfte]

Originally posted by sackett
I replaced the starter and battery terminals. The cables look pretty good and clean.

Read fellas. Where did you buy the starter from?

[Nick]

take the starter out and bench test it, its probably a faulty starter if you can hear the selenoid click over

maybe the brushes in the motor are stuck in the "up" position

[sackett]

I bought it at Kragens. ( Ibeleive in other places they are known as Shucks or checkers) I did have the old one tested and it worked on the bench. I have had experiance in the past where they would work on the bench but not under a load( IE in the car.) Anyway its doing the same exact thing the old one did. So I was thinking, Ignition? relay? fuse? It seems to be something that every once in a while turns the thing over like nothing is a miss. and then doesnt want to work.

[chronoti]

maybe where it catches in the engine that gear might be bad? if not when it starts do you notice any other problem?? have you tryed cleaning the cold start and the rest of the tb?? something in there might be cloged or stuck open.......

[sackett]

I am not sure what you mean when you say clean the cold start or tb. As far as the other,no, when it decides to turn over and start. It sounds fine no funny noises and it starts almost instantly. doesnt drag or anything. so whats a cold start and a tb?

[2wickedtoyz]

try this:
turn the car to the on position.
hook a wire to the starter (where the switch goes)
touch the battery with the wire
if it turns on no problem
then you switch is bad and needs to be replaced
or you can buy a push button switch

[sackett]

tried the wire trick, car started!! so I guess that means the ignition switch is bad?

[2wickedtoyz]

that means you can put in a push button instead why pay more?