starting problems
Hi,
I am a new member and can't post new threads, and as I have a similar problem I have decided to post it here. I hope that's ok, as it is URGENT!
About a year ago I have bought a car in Chile to travel around south america for a while. The car is 2004 Toyota 4runner V6 with automatic transmission, 365.000 km.
For the last week or so I am experiencing a problem with starting the car. Usually in the day the car starts just fine, ok sometimes it happens that it hesitates for a second or two, but it always starts. After I drive it, 15 minutes or 4 hours doesn't matter, I park it. Then after I get back to the car, it again doesn't matter for how long it has been sitting, sometimes it doesnt start. I put the key in, turn it and all the lights go on as normal, but then it doesn't start. It doesn't even make a sound, no click, nothing. The key just turns silently in the ignition. It always starts after few minutes, after I have played with fuses and relays for a while, but don't know if this really helped or not. It also always starts the next day. Once when it didn't work we have tried to jump start it connected with cables to another car but it did not start, so I guess it could not be the battery. The car has never died while running.
The battery is about two years old, and in those two years, the car did around 100.000 km. I did not have it checked, but everything else works fine – lights, radio, headights...
I have checked all the fuses, and could not find any blown. But I have discovered, that according to the drawing on the fuse box, some of the fuses don't correspond to the right power: DR\LOK is 15A (instead 20), EFI 15A(20), ETCS 20A(10) A\F HEATER 20A(15).
I also don't know if the black marks on the contact side of STA relay are normal – see picture.
The starter was rebuild 30.000 km ago, so I guess this should not be the issue either.
I did have a check engine light about 1500 km ago. After a scanner check I have changed spark plugs and everything was ok.
Now I am currently in Bolivia, and that's the urgent part
A local guy came to check the car with a scanner (it was a small, cheap looking scanner) and could not connect to the car's computer. Afterwards he said I should go to the bigger garage to get it checked by a proper scanner so they can check the ECU, but that it would be expensive (160 $). Amongst the probable causes he listed (without checking the car at all): ECU (800 $), some senzors or some wires.
I did not pay attention to the car imobillizer system, how it acts when this happens. It does have aftermarket alarm installed, but just for the function of remote control nothing else.
When I switch ignition to ON, the check engine light does come on, I also think I can hear the fuel pump working at the start.
But as I am in a country where you can't really trust local mechanics I am in a need of help. Where and how to start with the diagnosis, so I don't start throwing parts in to car which could be expensive and hard to get here, or with visiting to many local mecanics.
I must also mention that the environment here for the last 2-3 months is really dry – no rain. And the problem started to appear after spending time for the last month more or less in a desert, really dry, sandy and windy. Some of the time at a very high altitude – 4000 to 5000m (13.000 to 16.400 feet). Don't know if this has anything to do with it.
Oh, and of course I am not really a car guy ;( .
Because of my current location the situation is urgent and I would really appreciate your help. Thank you so much!
