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'04 Sienna not starting properly

nini2knini2k Member Posts: 2
edited May 2014 in Toyota
My '04 sienna has 40k miles and is not firing up right away like it used to. I've had the battery checked at an autopart store and it is working properly so i suspect it's the starter since it's making some clicking noise (like if the battery was dead) when it doesn't fire up right away.

The mechanic is telling me that i can't replace the starter with a refurbished one cause they only last 1 year and should go with OEM Toyota part at $300 + $170 for labor so total to replace starter will be in the $500. Does this pricing sounds reasonable?

It's weird that the starter will go bad at 40k miles but if it has to be replaced should i follow the advice of the mechanic or go with a $70 one remanufactured?

I've only done the oil changed every 5k at dealer since i bought it new so could
it be that it needs a tune up and that's the spark plug or else that's going bad?

I also noticed that the side doors are not closing automatically all the times anymore, mostly when the car has not been running or the engine has been turned off. Sometimes i'll push the button and they would open and close sometimes not, both issues started around the same time.

Comments

  • carbuf1carbuf1 Member Posts: 9
    The problem you are describing certainly points to a bad battery. Also the doors acting strangely can sometimes be attributed to a bad battery If this is your original battery, I would go ahead and replace it anyway because the average battery life is 4yrs and you don't want to be left stranded. A starter going bad with only 40k mi is very rare and I would much rather spend the 80-90 dollars for a battery that I know I am going to need soon anyway and see if that fixes the problem rather than 500 for the starter only to learn that it was a bad battery...
  • nini2knini2k Member Posts: 2
    You were right on target carbuf1!

    Battery was the issue after all, replaced it and everything is back to normal now.

    Thank You!
  • alphioalphio Member Posts: 1
    i wonder if any of you encountered this problem first the parking brake light comes on even if the parking brake is not even engaged ,second ,when i start the car , it stalls unless i press the gas pedal? what do thigk of this problem?
  • hms1595hms1595 Member Posts: 2
    I have an '04 Sienna XLE AWD with about 68k miles on it. I will admit that i drive it hard, but i am having problems that i dont think should happen to a car that is only five years old.
    First, similar to above it takes about three seconds of turning the key for the car to turn on. Is this a problem or just something i have to live with?

    Second. I live in Virginia, and it has been on and off cold here the last few days. Today it snowed. Tonight and in the past cold days when i have gone out to the car to open the doors (rear sliding) they have been unable to open. Whether the electric is on or off, the door will what seems like unhitch, and then it will not open or close. The problem is that i can not lock the car because the car thinks the door is open - or if it thinks it closed, lets me lock the car and eventually the alarm goes off when it thinks the door is open. I would think this is a problem caused by the cold, but i have taken the car to vermont on many occasions during the winter (in colder conditions) and never had this problem, even when the car has sat for longer.

    I am looking for a suggestion on how to go about handling this. I believe the car is under extended warranty until 70k miles.
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