2005 4.0 randomly having trouble starting

[dandingo]

My 2005 4.0L 4runner is having a weird issue. Occasionally it doesn't want to start. The first few times I try, it will click but won't even turn over. I'll do it 4-5 times then it will finally turn over, then will eventually start. This happens very randomly so it's been difficult to diagnose but it almost always happens on a cold start and has happened the past 3 mornings. I had a Costco battery that went bad about 6 months ago and they gave me a new one under warranty.

I took it to my mechanic last week and, of course, he couldn't replicate it and found nothing. I do have an aftermarket Sony touch screen display and it has been acting weird lately, where it will randomly disconnect from my phone even though it's plugged in and then will restart while on and driving so maybe an electric issue? Has anyone experienced anything like this?

 

[The G-Man]

Had this happen a couple years ago. Eventually it would not start at all.

Starter was dead, replaced it and been going well since.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[dandingo]

Had this happen a couple years ago. Eventually it would not start at all.

Starter was dead, replaced it and been going well since.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Perfect, thanks for the info. My mechanic was cool enough that he said he thought it could be the starter but didn't want to start throwing money at it and that not be the issue. I'll see if it gets worse. Really appreciate it.

 

[Bleu62]

Hey, definitely your starter. The click you hear is your starter solenoid going out. After years of use they build up crap and don’t make a good connection. Just a good piece of info to stick in your bag for later. Also, if it does not start before you swap it out, give it (the starter) a good whack w a hammer and it should start up. Had to do that a few times before.

 

[Bluesky 07]

[MENTION=130178]dandingo[/MENTION] - this YT video explains why the starter clicks and how to replace the worn parts. I recently replaced the contacts in mine as preventative maintenance. The parts are <$20 on Amazon and the process is easy - once you wrangle the starter out. That and reinstalling it is such a chore that most people would probably rather just have a mechanic put in a new one.