Toyota Repair: Avalon Starter, change oil filters, starter solenoid

Question
Dear Mr. Ritter,
I have read through some prior questions and want to say thanks for all your input... I know I speak for a lot of people when I say thank you. Ok, I have a 1996 Toyota Avalon XL w/155k, I have a starter that just "clicks" when I turn the key. Yesterday, after a few "clicks" it started and I drove it (after not driving it for 24 hrs). After I made a stop within 15 minutes of driving, I tried to start it again and once it started (after a few "clicks") I heard a lot of "rattling". I turned the car off and tried again - once it started it "rattled" with the engine running again. I turned it off within about 10 seconds, and after some auto repair reading.... I removed the starter this afternoon. The most I usually do with the car is change oil, filters, tran fluid, brake pad, etc. Someone at the local Toyota place suggested that if you drive your vehicle with the starter disfuntional, you can damage the flywheel on the transmission. Do you think the rattling noise I heard is coming from damaged flywheel parts? I'm trying to figure out the cheapest way to fix the car.... and before I purchase a starter, or maybe a contacts kit, I wanted to see if you think that noise means there is already damage to the flywheel - or something else - and so I should just take it somewhere instead of wasting time trying to replace the starter or the contacts? Or, should I try to clean the contacts like you suggested in a previous question from 9/13/04 involving an avalon starter?  Any advice would be greatly appreciated... and thanks again for your willingness to share your experience with the rest of us.  

Answer
The rattle noise is normally caused by the starter solenoid rapidly engaging and disengaging, this does not cause flywheel damage if remedied as soon as possible, it is also possible that the starter stayed engaged in the flywheel after the engine started, the best way to repair this is to replace the starter and I highly recommend in this case to use a remanufactured one from the toyota dealer.
You can try replacing the solenoid contacts but it's a gamble, so is using a starter from an independent supplier, I have seen too may of these fail and would not recommend doing so.