Question About 97 Corolla

[polly_yuen]

When I try to start the car, it makes a single 'click' sound and it won't start. At first, it happened occasionally. Now, it is getting worse. I asked the guy in the mechanical shop and he juz said my starter is worn out and asked me to replace it. Are there anything I can try beforehand?

Thanks a lot~

[Shakul]

First check the Battery thoroughly, but assuming it is ok what can be the problem is the elctromagnetic thingy that actually couples the starter into the whole engine/gearbox system. When you turn the key back to the on positition this decouples the starter. It works on elecromagnets. What could be wrong is that the starter spins put is not coupled to the engine. It is virtually noiseless then so you'd have to be really near to hear if it is spinning.

Bad thing is I don't know how to actually verify and/or repair it. I'd go with dismounting the starter (dunno how, never done it) and while it's still electrically plugged in check how it works.

... Oh yeah. Check if all the cables supplying the starter are ok. Might be that the couply thingy works but due to some cable problem the starter doesn't budge.

Ok, out of ideas now.

[Vanatorul]

It as your mechanic told you, your starter. If you had a problem with the baterry you wouldn't hear anything. There are some contacts inside the starter made by a material that resembles coal (in greece we call them coals); anyway the good thing is that you don't have to change the entire starter, only these things. I believe they are sold separately. Since you don't know by yourself...DON'T try. Good luck.

[ahsonlam]

it must be the problem from ur starter motors....

[sjrainsford]

Where's the click coming from?

Those things they were on about are carbon contact and the electromagnetic thingy is the solenoid. This fires the motor rotor into the engine to enable cranking. You really need to determine what's clicking. This could just be the relays. Locate the starter motor and have someone simulate cranking and listen for the click. If you hear the motor spinning then it's obviously not being fired into the engine by the solenoid. If it's just clicking then the rotor is probably being fired into the engine but not making the necessary carbon contacts to enable the motor spinning.

They are normally not too difficult to remove, and are one unit normally.

The thing to do is remove it and watch it in operation. It stands a good chance that the motor is just not spinning cause the contacts aren't being made.