Lc Starter Keeps Going, Won't Turn Off

April 1, 2004

Hi- I have a '95 Land Cruiser with 136K miles on it; the other day I went to shut the key off and the starter kept trying to restart the engine (the engine was running, even after the key was off and out of the ignition) my mechanic can't seem to replicate this situation. I'm afraid the starter will burst into flames if it does this again & this time I don't hear the whine of the starter motor over the sound of the engine, anyone ever experienced this?I gotit to stop the first time by whacking the starter w/ a hammer. Thanks!

April 5, 2004

I have the same thing going in my Lexus SC 400 (92, 86000m). I'm pretty sure it's the starter clutch not disengaging as I've had this occur in other vehicles. However 1) I'm not positive and 2) I can't remember the remedy, though I'm pretty sure it costs a new starter to fix it. I have a call into a mechanic but didn't hear back today. I'd be interested if someone knows the answer. I'll let you know if I hear any news.

April 6, 2004

As expected the starter has to be replaced. I am told if left unattended you will either a) not be able to turn over the starter some day or B) burn up something more expensive when the starter clutch finally fries and will not disengage at all.

The bad news for me is that for my Lexy SC 400 it will run me $900. You have to pull the intake manifold to get to it. Joking last night I told my buddy it would be $1200 and I was right - at the Lexus house anyway.

Love my ride but when something goes, you have to have your own gold mine to pay for it.

April 9, 2004

Thank you for the post, while mine was in the shop earlier this week it turned out it needed 4 new rotors ($1100, yikes!) so if this starter thing flairs up again I'm just going to pull the fuel pump fuse to disable the engine & the starter, and then try to restart it

April 14, 2004

If you are somewhat mechanically talented, you could fix the starter yourself. The problem you're experiencing is the the contacts inside the starter.

The following link has instructions for fixing it yourself:

http://sleeoffroad.com/technical/tz_starter_rebuild.htm

I had the same problem with my '94 LC (before I sold it). I didn't know about replacing the contacts, so I ended up replacing the entire starter.

One thing I noticed when the starter was stuck on was that I could not get the engine above 1200 rpm -- it would just buck. I also noticed the lights on the dash would go nuts -- each independently flashing on and off.

One thing to look for (symptoms) is when you turn the key (in the ignition), nothing will happen. You'll have all electrical power, but the ignition will not do anything.

Good luck!

...

Doug