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Fixing a Clicking Starter *without* removal from the car

Toyota makes reliable cars, but their starters are known to wear down their contacts and just *click* when the key is turned - if yours starts ...

Toyota Starter L-Head Jeep

Toyota Starter L-Head Jeep

how car starter motors work

an inside out description and repair tips.

Fast Lane Motors – an Honest Mechanic in the Northwest Valley

Here’s the thing – when you drive a 13-year old truck with 260,000 miles, you’re going to need some help now & then.  So I was happy when someone referred me to Dave Dunch (owner of and mechanic at Fast Lane Motors).  And I’ve been even happier as time has passed.

Since many of us are keeping our cars a little longer than normal in this economy, I thought you might need someone you could trust, too.

I can say all sorts of nice words about Dave, but I’d rather share my first experience…

Leaving money on the table.

My car was sporadically not starting - not in a slow-to-turn-over way, but in a “click” way.  I couldn’t find a loose wire and both battery terminals were secured, so I went to Checker.  The guys at Checker thought I might need to replace my battery cables, but “unofficially” recommended I talk to Dave before spending $350 at the dealership.

I pulled into Dave’s garage, and he stopped what he was doing to look at my car.  He found some corrosion, and thought he might be able to do a quick fix rather than replacing the whole cable harness.  5 minutes later he had spliced & crimped a new connector onto the existing cable & my car was fixed.  When I asked how much I owed for the work, he replied “it’s a $5 part – don’t worry about it.”  (I opened my wallet anyway and guiltily gave him the lone $20 bill in there)

He could have charged me whatever he felt like, but he didn’t.  Wow – that was a surreal experience!

Good Guy; Good Work

Since then I’ve had Dave work on my alternator, starter, power steering fluid pump, catalytic converter, and probably a couple other things I’m forgetting.

My experience is always the same. Dave’s upfront & honest.  He’s a guy, rather than a corporation, so he can juggle his workflow easier to deal with emergency situations.  He stands by his work.  He offers multiple solutions to a problem (“I can fix it the Toyota by-the-book way for $700 or I can use a different part, just as high quality, and do it for about half the cost…”, or “I can jimmy it for you so it’ll work fine, but you’ll never pass inspection – you’ll have to come back to fix it for real before your emissions test – at least it’ll buy you six months to save up if you need to…).  He listens, explains, and teaches.  And he doesn’t intimidate by using words I don’t understand – he makes it all seem so simple.

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