I thought I had figured out my starting problem but its still happening.

It gives all the symptoms of a flat battery. The starter clicks but rarely turns over the engine. 2 different auto part companies have tested the battery and say its good.

Whilst reading a bit on the tinternet this came up. Has anyone had similar problems ?

http://www.roughtrax4x4.com/?doc=16&cid=616&vid=831

Are you talking about cold starting or starting in general?
I`ve had this on mine cold starting(happened again today although not being started for a while doesnt help).
Just noticed the fan belt loose so that will be getting sorted wednesday(hope this helps).

If the starter just clicks then it could be the contacts far cheaper on ebay -
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/TOYOTA-STARTER-MOTOR-REPAIR-KIT-ALL-MODELS-VARIANTS_W0QQitemZ290379066865QQcategoryZ10428QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp4340.m263QQ_trkparmsZalgo%3DSIC%26its%3DI%26itu%3DUCI%252BIA%252BUA%252BIEW%252BFICS%252BUFI%26otn%3D11%26ps%3D63

I've only ever needed to change the two copper contacts, the rest of the starter has been in good condition on all the starters I've have done over the years.

could be the solenoid. Had this on an old pug, a strategically placed smack with a hammer got it going, was worn and sticking

Its generally on cold starting. 4 -5 attempts gets it going and when "warm" it starts first time.

It does sound like a sticky solenoid or starter brushes issue........
How long is it since you had a pile of oily bits on the kitchen table?
Having said that, I vaguely remember reading of someone who cured a similar issue with some work in the battery compartment.
The key bit though is it works when warm....suggests a mechanical sticking issue.....

mm lets think..
My crowning glory (not being very mechanical remember) was stripping / rebuilding a 3.5 litre range rover engine. piston rings, new clutch and relevant bits. All with advice from a Haynes manual.
I was lucky at the time as the father in law had an empty double garage with most tools you could ask for so it was laid out as I took it apart.

My kitchen table has yet to be christened.

Mmmm...V8...I used to love the 3.5ltr land rover....had to go though....one big toy too many

would it fit in the ace ? :-)

Well...I 'dreamt' of doing that many, many times!

i feel a project comin on.......................

Try using another battery attached(jumped) from cold and see if this gives you any different results.I also leave it until the alarm sounds on the dash(about 10 secs) before i start mine as the heater plugs are still warming up when the glow plug light goes off.This can be tested with a volt meter.

Hi, if it clicks and only starts occasionally it will almost certainly be the contacts inside the starter housing. Not much else wears in these starters. If it's only a problem while cold it's because the metal expands when it's warm.

Basically what happens is when the starter is engaged there is a plunger which crosses 2 contacts. Over time one contact will wear more than the other and this causes the problem.

I had this problem for the last 2 months, mine would take up to 100 clicks of the key to get it to turn.

In the end i bought a kit of eBay and it was only a 2-hour job, costing $35 (including delivery to Australia). And i've never touched one before!

To get to the starter you will have to jack up the front of the van, take the guards off the bottom of the engine and unbolt the starter from the block. Then it's just 3 screws to open the housing. The kit came with full instructions on what to do from there.

The 1KZ-TE kit i bought included a bigger (upgraded) contact as well as the plunger and a normal contact. They have a bunch of kits to suit most engines, and i highly recommend their service.

http://www.repairkitsuk.com/

If you know what you are doing do you need to remove the starter, is there room to remove the contacts cover?

I can only speak for the 1KZ-TE engine:
It really is a tight fit in that space, the problem is you also need to be able to remove the contact bolts from either side of the starter.

I toyed with that idea but it was just easier in the end to remove it from the block.

It's only 2 bolts, the bottom one is a nut and bolt, and the top one is a single ended nut so not hard if you have ratchet with extension and a matching spanner.[/b]