Trouble Starting - 1GR-FE

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Been an unregistered lurker for a while

I have a 2004 V6 1GR-FE Prado GXL. Only got 170k on it, serviced regularly, but now rarely gets driven.

I'm finding it's is suffering from intermittent starting issues that are starting to become more regular, where on turning the key it will start to turn over but will take about 10 seconds to start.

I've uploaded a short MP3 file it trying to start - https://mega.nz/#!twZzxY7C!GiXFNnyjf...RzAqJ3FXq1VPVA

I'm not overly mechanically minded, but from reading through other posts here I'm thinking it could maybe be the starter, fuel pump/lines, injectors not firing or maybe belts slipping? It doesn't seem to be a battery or alternator issue, and the car runs find once it starts.

Could anybody give me any suggestions were to start or where to go from here?

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Starter motor is known to give longer crank times on these when its dying.. Fuel related could be another issue (Air in line). Sounds starter to me.

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Thanks Piggy for your thoughts.

A replacement starter motor isn’t much from flea-bay, and from posts on this forum seems relatively simple to replace in the V6 via the front passenger wheel arch, even for someone with little real experience like me.

I might give that a go and see where it takes me.

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Its an absolute bastard to replace a starter.. you'll see :P Buy a genuine or have yours reco'd. Ebay crap is usually just that.. A genuine isnt much thru Ashdown Ingrams, around $280.

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Got a starter through Repco cause I was desperate. Threw it in today and it starts like it did 14 years ago May look at getting the original reco’d in case it goes again.

Found it a simple job actually - even with me being a novice - thanks to this forum. I got in via the front passenger wheel arch. Workshop manual says the exhaust needs removing, but was easy to manipulate the 2x 14mm bolts by reaching around it. A little fiddly, but easily doable. Pulled it straight out and put the new one in.