Toyota supra 2Jza-ge having problems

[kobesupra]

I bought this toyota supra 2jza-ge N/A 1995 past 3 months and it was running fine, the past owner said the he changed the throttle position sensor but he didn't say why. after 2 months my brother borrowed the car and said that it went off randomly after he accidentally switched the key while the car is already running. Now the car has problems starting and getting his normal idle (idle is between 500-600rpm) since then. Tried to take is to a mechanic, he said that switching the key while its running wont do any serious problems then he checked for engine codes but the codes are normal.

will try to upload video starting it but any suggestions of trying to fix it??

[warmkop]

What is the mileage on the car and was it serviced before you bought it.
When you drive her does she drive normal with no problems

[kobesupra]

It was about 180000, I would not say fine when i'm driving it because theres a time that the idle drops down like the engine is going to stall and it goes back up again and this would happen 3-4 times then it goes back to normal

[warmkop]

It can be n number off things when was it last serviced.filters plugs ens...

[cre]

It's quite uncommon BUT... If the drive gear, pinion or fork in the starter were damaged preventing the drive gear from disengaging then yes, the starter could be the source of the problem. Your idle would bog (it'll get worse as the starter decays from the abuse), you'll have difficulty starting the car and you may experience electrical problems.

[pwpanas]

Originally Posted by kobesupra

It was about 180000, I would not say fine when i'm driving it because theres a time that the idle drops down like the engine is going to stall and it goes back up again and this would happen 3-4 times then it goes back to normal

Just curious: has the sound it makes while starting changed at all since before the problem when your brother borrowed it?

[kobesupra]

Originally Posted by pwpanas

Just curious: has the sound it makes while starting changed at all since before the problem when your brother borrowed it?

No it didn't it just losses its idle then it would stall the car

Originally Posted by cre

It's quite uncommon BUT... If the drive gear, pinion or fork in the starter were damaged preventing the drive gear from disengaging then yes, the starter could be the source of the problem. Your idle would bog (it'll get worse as the starter decays from the abuse), you'll have difficulty starting the car and you may experience electrical problems.

So whats the best way to fix this problem? thanks for replying btw

[pwpanas]

Originally Posted by kobesupra

...So whats the best way to fix this problem? thanks for replying btw

You'd need a new starter for sure. However, I would *guess* that you would hear a continuous whine from the starter motor while the car is running in this case (cre, please correct me if I'm wrong about that).

Given you haven't heard any new noises/sounds since your brother messed with the ignition key while running...I would suggest your next troubleshooting step should be a standard check for vacuum leaks. You can do this with a smoke machine or by pressurizing your intake system. Some folks even use a can of ether and spray near the intake system to check for leaks - for obvious reasons this isn't my top choice of troubleshooting procedure.

When your mechanic said "codes are normal", what exactly did he mean? In fact, *any* code at all is abnormal...

[cre]

As fast as that starter would be spinning I would expect a fair amount of noise... but you never know how observant folks are or if they'd be able to identify the source nor do I know how much he's been driving it since this started. Just throwing the possibility out there. For me it'd be a fairly quick operation to just pull it and check for any damage, but I don't send work to a shop for such things.

I may be wrong but wouldn't an engaged starter generate voltage which could be tested for?

Anyway, as I said, this scenario isn't very common as far as I know (at least not in anything since the made 80's; See: older domestics, esp. Chevy starter shim fix) and isn't likely to be the problem. I figure it is worth a quick check since kobesupra's brother insists that all he did was crank the starter while the engine was running. If this did happen I wouldn't expect the starter to function for long before the bearings start screaming and die a terrible death.

If there are diagnostic codes present which the mechanic is dismissing you should have him write them down and post them. If he won't get the codes read at an auto parts store (every one around here will read codes for free). I suspect that by saying the codes are "normal" he may have meant there were none present but it's worth verifying.