1990 toyota 4runner. auto. when we turn the key we just get a click. here's what we've tried so far: new battery. it is good -- tests out on a volt meter. checked terminal connections at battery and they are clean and tight. chase put new brushes in starter. i checked the positive cable from the battery to starter with an ohm meter and seems good. i put a pigtail on the large nut on the starter and used a jumper cable to connect 12v to the end of the pigtail, insuring there was 12v to the starter. turned the key -- still nothing but a click. what next? thanks.
22re electrical/starter problems
- Thread starter Tobers
- Start date
rattlecanpaint
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Apr 18, 2005
- Location
- Winston Salem
Grounds. Or the starter motor is just shot.
here's an update. i found the big ground, below the battery. took it off, hit it with emery cloth, put dielectric grease on it. did the same with a small ground on the firewall. it cranked 3 times in a row -- thought I had fixed it. then it didn't crank 3 times in a row. are there other grounds? other ideas? thanks!
- Joined
- Mar 16, 2005
- Location
- Archer Lodge
pull the starter, replace the copper contacts in the starter solinoid
if it is an original Nippon Denso starter, do everything you can to keep it, the after market junk is just that, JUNK !
rarely does anything but the contacts in the solenoid go bad in a factory ND starter
if it is an original Nippon Denso starter, do everything you can to keep it, the after market junk is just that, JUNK !
rarely does anything but the contacts in the solenoid go bad in a factory ND starter
RatLabGuy
You look like a monkey and smell like one too
- Joined
- May 18, 2005
- Location
- Churchville, MD
This does sound like a ground problem, esp if it won't starts just hotwiring straight from a 12v battery source to the starter.
IRC, the starter itself doesn't have a separate ground feed - it relies on the connection between the starter body and it's connection to the bellhousing flange. Make sure it is in there tight and that surface is clean.
There should be ground straps between the frame and motor, and motor and body, IIRc the one from the battery splits (or maybe is just 2 wires double tapped) so 1 goes to the body, other goes to the engine block, maybe down at the motor mount?
There's also a ground that often gets lost/forgotten going from the back of the head to the body at the top of the tunnel.
IRC, the starter itself doesn't have a separate ground feed - it relies on the connection between the starter body and it's connection to the bellhousing flange. Make sure it is in there tight and that surface is clean.
There should be ground straps between the frame and motor, and motor and body, IIRc the one from the battery splits (or maybe is just 2 wires double tapped) so 1 goes to the body, other goes to the engine block, maybe down at the motor mount?
There's also a ground that often gets lost/forgotten going from the back of the head to the body at the top of the tunnel.
RatLabGuy
You look like a monkey and smell like one too
- Joined
- May 18, 2005
- Location
- Churchville, MD
And yes, the AutoZoo etc starters go bad a lot, but at least they come w/ lifetime replacement ;-) but yes, keep the OE one if you still have it...
here's the latest. i found several grounds but from the above post I've still got a couple of more to find. it will start 3-4 times in a row. then it won't start 3-4 times in a row. when it "clicks" the dash lights dim a little -- but it won't turn over. so i'll get the grounds -- might as well do that first. and if it still is intermittent, i'll pull the starter. don't know if it is original or not. thanks for the help! keep the ideas coming.