1996 Camry Won't Start Has loud Click
 

My 1996 Camry was just running. I had the car off for about 15 min. Went back to start it and all the lights come on as normal when I turn the key but all I get a loud click. The starter does not even try to turn the car over. I've seen some folks talk about the solenoid. I'm a novice at this so I was wondering where I should start. I don't want to just go buy parts hap-hazardly trying to figure it out. Autozone has the solenoid at $80 and the starter at $148. The click is consistent every time I turn the key I sounds like it's coming from the starter. Is this a DIY job?

I've got the service manual for the car so I'm pretty confident.
Any help is greatly appreciated.

thanks,

i have a 99 camry with a cracked starter motor and it ocassionaly does the same thing, but because its not completly broken works 90% of the time. try replacing startermotor.

Actually now the solenoid is part of the starter so now its one complete unit. they sell only the starter, no sloenoid purchase.

Its probably the solenoid contacts--usually looks like 2 flat copper bus bars. Solenoid plunger comes down on those bars to transmit power to start or make car start.

you can go to toyota dealer and ask for the starter solenoid contact points or look for on the web.
A lot of toyota oem parts dealer on net now has microfish for viewing parts diagram online.

click on link below. Oh when you go to toyota dealer and ask for starter contact terminal kit... they might say not available and try to sell you whole starter. But insist on just the starter terminal contact kit.

The toyota part ## are also listed in the pics of the link below. If I were you, take starter off and then remover cover to expose the copper contact points, take it off, and then take to dealer to match parts.

this link is good, pics and part #http://www.team-integra.net/forum/di...TopicID=123037

Final Solution
 

Just to finish my thread this is what ended up happening.
1) Went and bought the copper contacts for the starter, per some recommendations on the web. From my local toyota dealer they were $23 total for both sides. I put these in myself, reinstalled the starter and the same click happened.
2) Took off starter and took to my local starter rebuilder. $75 later the starter is like brand new. Service guy said it needed a plunger in the starter, whatever that is.

I installed the newly rebuilt starter and it cranked the first time.

I've now moved onto new cv axles and struts. It's been an adventure.

plunger is inside the solenoid. The solenoid is a wire coil around a plunger (magnetic metal rod) When you turn the key, electricity goes through the wire coil, creates a magnetic push that shoves the plunger. The plunger connects (pushes) the gear on the starter to the flywheel, so the starter is turning the engine over (cranking it). When the engine fires, you let go of the key, the starter stops cranking and the plunger relaxes back (pushed by a spring) letting the starter gear release from the flywheel so the engine can run. hope this explains it!