2004 4Runner Sport starter question

Hello.....I have a 2004 4Runner Sport all stock. On occasions the starter drags while trying to start my 4runner. It turns over as if the battery is not supplying enough juice to the starter. I have an Interstate battery and took the battery back to Interstate and had them test it. Interstate says the battery is fine on their tester. It does not do this all the time just on occasions. My 4runner will start and run fine. Has anyone else had this issue? Thanks for the feedback

 

id check the ground on the starter or the wiring running to it, could be a partial break somewhere. see what happens if you hook up to another car with jumper cables too. if it starts normally with that then its the battery, despite what interstate says

 

The contacts in the starter are probably worn. Not sure about our starters in the 4Runners, but I had to replace the contacts on my '98 Tacoma starter. The dealership had a starter rebuild kit. It only cost $15.

 

chriswollie;

I know this is an old message, but I have a 2005 V6 SR5 4runner with 150,000 miles and I've had starter issues all along since I purchased new. I'm not a fan of rebuilding 4runner starters, and here's why.

The original starter that came with the car (my car was built in Japan) lasted about 4 or 5 years and failed. You can usually smack a starter lightly with a wrench when they fail to start the car, but that only works one or two times.

After getting it started with a wrench, I took the car to a top auto parts repair shop here in the Bahamas and they rebuilt the OEM starter (solenoid contacts), but that lasted 1 year. They offered to fix it again, but I asked if I bought them a AM new 4runner starter, if they'd install that one. Seems they didn't have any Toyota 4runner starters, so I found them one (cost me about $280 here in Nassau). To have one ordered (OEM -from Japan) and have it installed at the dealer here in Bahamas was $900 (pretty sure that's the quote I gots).

The new AM starter lasted about 4 years (same as the original genuine starter), when it too failed.

I then ordered yet another new AM starter for about $120 (by Quality Built - Autoparts Warehouse - lifetime warrantee - limited), and had my Yamaha engine mechanic install it in my driveway for $60. It took him 46 minutes.

I saved the APW cash receipt and the box it came in (that says lifetime warrantee), so to see if they will give me a new one if it "EVER" fails. BTW. I called APW today and they told me "lifetime" means they will replace it "whenever" if fails.

I also purchased an additional starter from Amazon for under $80 (

$111 DB Electrical SND0491 DB Electrical 410-52161 Starter Compatible With/Replacement For Toyota Tacoma & Tundra 4.0L 4.0 05-09 2005-2009 & 4Runner 03-09 2003-2009 FJ Cruiser 07 08 09

DB Electrical SND0491 New Starter For Toyota - 1 year warrantee) as a back up.

The current lifetime warranteed starter (by Quality Built) has been working perfect since installed on January 6 2017 (my maintenance records), but I know it is going to fail someday.

BOTTOM LINE: Buy a new AM starter at Amazon for $79. Any mechanic can install it.