Starting Problems intermittent

[frosty170]

I have a 2000 Avalon,141k miles, sometimes I have a hard time starting it. I turn the key and it will just click, try again and it will start. I have a new battery, Voltage at idle is at 14. I turn the lights on with the air cond and it drops to 12.6, could this point to the Alt having problems under load ?

Thanks

[BiXLL]

sounds more like a starter/selenoid problem to me.

[TedL]

What he said^^^^^, if your connections including grounds are clean and tight.

[chuckoff]

Contacts in starter solenoid are probably worn. Remove starter, remove solenoid cover plate and see if contacts and plunger are worn/pitted. All replaceable. Not necessary to replace entire starter like many shops do.

[frosty170]

Thanks for the feedback, I went ahead and bought a starter/solenoid, $68 bucks from a link I found here. Problem solved, but now it seems the starter stays engaged too long.

[chuckoff]

Starter staying engaged could be the replacement solenoid sticking. Why did you replace the whole solenoid? Much easier to just replace fried contacts and plunger.

[frosty170]

when I called toyota the guy talked me out of buying the parts for the solenoid, he said it was hard to take a part. After getting the new Starter it didn't look so hard.