Starter corrosion

[tashirosgt]

A "new" (i.e. rebuilt) starter that I got from Autozone failed after 6 months of use. I took it apart and examined the pieces as directed in the Toyota service manual. They pass the continuity tests in the service manual and look OK.

The service manual does not say to take the magnetic switch (or "bendix") apart, but I did that next. As the pictures show, it has corrosion in it. It does rain here in dry southern NM, but not much. I'm wondering if the weakness of this starter is a bad gasket on the metal cover plate that allowed water to get in. Or would water have gotten inside anyway from other places? Corolla starters do have a little drip tube on them.

http://i716.photobucket.com/albums/w...agSwitch01.jpg
http://i716.photobucket.com/albums/w...agSwitch02.jpg
http://i716.photobucket.com/albums/w...agSwitch03.jpg
http://i716.photobucket.com/albums/w...agSwitch04.jpg

[Flashmn]

That magnetic thing is the solenoid, not the bendix, bendix is the gear part.
Only issue is that if theres so much rust there that the piston is jammed.

[SCT]

How did the starter act when you tried to start the car? I think mine is going bad as well and it's only been less than a year. It's rebuilt, i think from Autozone as well. Shit parts.

Some times, I turn the key to start and there's like nothing at all from the starter but all the power is soaking into it. So I have to knock it a bit. It happend about five times now and it's like whenever it wants to. Of course, jiggling the key from off to start don't work unless the damn thing was actually going bad from wear and tear like my original starter that lasted 20 years from what I know!

[tashirosgt]

When the starter wouldn't work, I'd hear no sound at all from it. I'd only hear the fuel pump.
.
A blow by blow account of my starter experience is on another forum: http://www.corolland.com/forums/inde...howtopic=22567

I'm not willing to make the generality that most of the parts in this starter are inferior. When I took it apart, most parts looked fine. I'm trying to understand why the magnetic switch became corroded. (Is it supposed to resist water or is water never supposed to get in it?) If you have to change yours, I hope you will look inside the switch (it only involves removing 3 phillips head screws to see the part I photographed) and tell us if yours is corroded.