I replaced the starter selonoid ass’y (the plunger & contacts) on a 92 Toyota Corolla last fall. For the most part after this replacement it cranks and starts like new; but listen to this: While it has never failed to crank & start yet, it goes through periods lasting a week or two where it doesn’t crank the first time I turn the key to “start”. It just clicks, or sometimes it starts to do sort of a “lazy” crank, then slows, and the cranking stops before starting. I don’t do anything to fix it, I just try the key again, and the next time it always cranks & starts fine.
This hesitant cranking phase lasts a week or 10 days – like I say so far it has never left me stranded – then it goes for 6-8 weeks working like new, cranking like new each and every time I turn the key to “start”. Then it repeats the hesitant phase.
I’m wondering if there is something out of alignment between the plunger and the contacts? I wonder, does the plunger rotate a little w/each crank? If so, that would change the alignment points of the plunger w/the contacts with each start. If the plunger rotated a full circle over an 8 week period’s of starts say, would that explain this unusual phenomenon? At this point it is not an emergency, since it still starts eventually, for now it is more a curiosity.
Anyway, what do you think?