Starter ? Other electrical problem?

Hey all so I'm having an intermittent starting issue but here is some background first.

I hate to admit but I had a bad battery terminal connector on the positive connection and I messed with it to get it to stay but I'm sure it came loose when I was driving ( I had to push it back on every time I started it ) and I drove around way too long with it but is now fixed and apparently my battery is still good when I was in the shop to get a new tire last week. Anyways , I've also had spark plugs, wires and ignition coils replaced , new fuel filter , cleaned MAF sensor just recently. And now I'm having this starting issue. It seems to be worse when it's the first start of the day but it happens after driving a bunch too. It clicks once when I turn the key and all my lights and dash stuff are powered. Sometimes it takes a few tries sometimes it takes 20 tries. I did the screwdriver "test" to the alternator and it pulled magnet so I'm assuming that and my battery are ok. Unless I need more thorough testing but I have a good feeling it's my starter or some other electrical issue caused by my loose terminal . Leaning towards doing the contacts and plunger in the starter but might just get a whole new one since I have 227k on the truck . Any pointers would be helpful. Thank you !

 

I'm agreeing with you on the starter contacts. This is something you don't have to go with OEM necessarily. You can get them at most auto electrical shops.

 

100% definately the starter contacts.

With 227k miles on the truck, I would think replacing the starter is the best way to go. But that's just me, and depends on your budget. I just couldn't convince myself it was a good idea to go through the work of pulling the starter, to replace the contacts/plunger only to put a starter that still had over 200k miles back on the truck.

 

Believe it or not, the original Denso units are very high quality. The contacts and plunger are 15-20 bucks and you keep the much higher quality starter unit. I had mine apart a few months ago and was amazed how smooth and tight the bearings still felt. Well not amazed because I'm used to it with Denso starters, but happy the bearings still felt like what I'd expected from a Denso unit

 

Replacing the contacts and plunger is the best way to go. It's a 10 minute bench job and other then those the OEM starters(Denso) are bullet proof. I've got one with 350000 on it that's still doing just fine.

 

If you going to remove the starter to replace the contacts and plunger, this video will help you out.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/WV1t5-wcoOI

 

I'm not questioning the quality of Denso Starters. I replaced mine with a Denso starter. I just don't see the point of pulling 20 year old starter with over 225,000 miles on it, only to put it back in after you've replaced about 1/3 of the parts that can ultimately fail on it.

Why not put in a reman Denso starter for 95 bucks with no core charge... seams like a no brainer to me.

Denso 280-0150 Remanufactured Starter

$176 Denso 280-0150 Remanufactured Starter (Renewed)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000C5WD6W/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_.4E1DbF6XZVM9



And btw... my original Denso starter must have been a dud. Because, when I changed my starter out recently, the starter I pulled wasn't an OE Denso. I've never replaced the starter. I bought the truck as a 2 year lease return, "Certified Pre-owned" (cough, cough bullshit) with 60,000 miles on it. So, the original starter had been replaced within the first 2 years/60,000 miles... for whatever reason.

 

The OEM Denso starters can easily last the life of the truck and that's why it's smart to first just replace the starter contacts and plunger. Why spend $95 when you can spend $15.

 

Well... like I said earlier... the OE starter in my truck apperantly didn't last 2 years.

I gladly spent the $95 on a new starter. It's cheap insurance against being 40 miles down a back road with a dead starter... just in case.

 

manual or automatic trans? While the solenoid contacts are highly suspect, the clutch switch on a manual trans, or the neutral saftey switch on an automatic trans can be an issue also. If an automatic, try cranking it in neutral.