Starter sticks once in a while leading to believe starter is out.

Use voltmeter or test lamp to see if you are getting power to ignition switch. Could be blown fusible link or bad switch.

If you are hearing clicks when you turn the key and if you know where the starter is, get under there and tap it with a hammer. Sounds archaic but when they start to go bad they stick. When you turn the key, the starter acts like the old hand crank you see in movies to spin the engine. When you release the key the starter believes it did its job and goes dormant. Anyway, if you hear clicks when you turn the key and if it starts after hitting it that is likely your problem.

They jumped your starter making a connection on the starter solenoid. remove the starter, and go to the auto parts store, and have it tested. I would believe your starter is having problems. banging on the starter mean the armature is sticking and your starter wont spin. Have them check it out, I am most certain you need a new one. hope this helps. let me know

I'm not familiar with this model Toyota, but I once fixed a similar problem by spraying WD-40 lubricant into the ignition switch. It was sticking in the "start" position, keeping the starter engaged.
Try lubricating your push-button switch. If that doesn't work, replace it.
The repair place might have thought the starter solenoid (which supplies the serious electricity to the starter motor) was sticking "on," but that's unlikely. Those solenoids usually fail in the off position. So it's quite possible there was nothing wrong with your original starter ... and you might want to discuss that with your repair place if the button turns out to be the problem.

Beat on the starter with a hammer while someone tries to crank....if if cranks, you need a new starter selenoid. You can also bypass the selenoid by jump starting it with a screw drive to conduct much current between the two bolts on the starter selenoid. Be careful not to touch, unless your full of ****.

I have also suffered this problem. The starter motor has a component called BENDEX. It is the part that pushes the starting pinion forward and backward so that it engages with the flywheel when you want to start. And when you release the starter, it retracts the pinion and it disengages from the flywheel. As the flywheel is much larger than the pinion, if it does not disengage the starter motor will get burnt as it would be subjected to a very high RPM by the flywheel. So, get the bendex repaired. If it can not be repaired for some reason then replace with a new one.

are you referring to the starter relay on the firewall? the voltage should drop to 0 when measuring across the signal path because the connection is made, essentially making it a piece of wire and there is no difference in potential between the two points. is there 12v to the starter motor? is the starter solenoid (located on the starter) receiving 12v? check fuses and fusible links. disconnect hot leads from the starter. remove the starter, and supply 12v directly to the motor. does the pinon gear extend and spin? starter.

If the starter motor is sticking, it can draw a large current. If there is power down to the starter motor while its not starting then the starter is faulty. You can test this with a multimeter or just a test bulb connected to the smaller of the two wires on the starter, while cranking.Check you have a good earth from the battery to the engine. If the bulb lights up but no engine cranking then its a faulty starter.

TL

check your fuses, your battery that it is fully charged, your battery connections at both ends of the cables, check to see that a wire has not fallen off or burnt off of the starter. If none of these work rmove the starter and becch test the starter. Prior to bench testing the starter try hitting the side of the starter with a hammer a couple of time , as they some times stick or end up on a flat spoton the armature which will not allow the current through. Hope that this helps if not let me know and we will try a few other things. If one of these solutions helps please take the time to rate this site thank you and good luck.

What you have is a VERY common problem. Your starter solenoid contacts are worn out. To rectify this, you have 2 options: Remove the starter and replace the burnt contacts (the are located under a metal plate that has 3 small bolts holding it to the starter; replace the plunger and the 2 copper coloured contacts) OR reeplace the starter. The clicking noise that you hear is the plunger hitting one contact, but the current from the battery is not passing thru the plunger to the other contact that leads into the windings of the starter. No contact = no crank.