starting issues

[Rhyli]

This only happens the morning after it rains.
It starts to start with radio, windshield wipers on and engine almost turns over then stops dead. Starter clicks(radio works etc), but no start. then after some time (about the amount of time to round up a friend for a jump) it starts up with no problem. Any ideas. Nothing under the hood is wet, batt cables tight.
1991 Corolla All Trac Wagon.

[SuperRA]

It may have something to do with the starter solenoid contacts acting up. When mines does that, I rapidly turn the key from the "ON" position to "START" and back about 5 to 10 times. The starter will usually catch on by then. Once you hear the starter "starting", stop that and try starting normally if the motor hasn't already started. Try that first and if it fails, your starter contacts or starter itself may need replacing.

[90 GP]

I agree on the starter contact issue which is very common and cheap/easy to fix on these cars. Also you could have some corrosion on battery terminals/cables .Remove and shine up both surfaces and re tighten.

[tashirosgt]

It may not be your starter clicking. It might be the starter relay, which is in one of the black enclosures on the drivers (USA) side of the engine compartment.

It's not hard to replace the starter contacts, but getting the starter off and on the car is quite a job. There are posts on the web about how to do it.

I got starter contacts for only a few dollars from the local Toyota dealer. They didn't quite fit and I had to drill out the hole in them to be larger.

I've found corrosion in aftermarket starters to be a problem. These are photos of the magnetic switch from a less than 1 year old aftermarket starter, which had a bad gasket around the cover of the switch. I took it off my 1990 Corolla 4AFE:
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

Another exasperating problem I had with an aftermarket starter was that it as assembled so one of wires brushed against the piston of the switch and occasionally jamme it. That took forever to diagnose!

In OEM starters, I haven't found much corrosion but the contacts do get worn down to be wafer thin and stop working.