Here's a new one - smoked the starter?

[85straight]

You should invest in a 2nd gen 4runner.

Choose your words carefully pilgrim
:gun6:

 

[slacker]

Does yours keep cranking even after the key rotates back to the On position? If that's the case, I'd suspect that relay you put in before I suspected the starter.

ok .. so heres one that will bake your noodle . This morning I decided to try something different .
initial start up (cold AM start) , did exactly the same as before , but before it smoothed out , I shut the key off . Starter still was cranking even with the key off , and it was an actual starter crank , not the flywheel dragging the bendix . This as with the initial start only lasts ~ 20-30 seconds .. but I don't know why it is doing this with the key off ?
and did I mention , this ONLY happens on the first initial start of the day ... after that all day long , she starts like a champ


.

 

[KidVermicious]

ok .. so heres one that will bake your noodle . This morning I decided to try something different .
initial start up (cold AM start) , did exactly the same as before , but before it smoothed out , I shut the key off . Starter still was cranking even with the key off , and it was an actual starter crank , not the flywheel dragging the bendix . This as with the initial start only lasts ~ 20-30 seconds .. but I don't know why it is doing this with the key off ?
and did I mention , this ONLY happens on the first initial start of the day ... after that all day long , she starts like a champ


.

I'm no expert, but I still think it's the relay. The starter solenoid has to be getting juice from somewhere, and a stuck relay might still be providing power even though you removed the reference voltage when you turned the key off?

 

[RAD4Runner]

So apparently my ignition gets sticky...I'm worried that I've damaged the bendix gear or flywheel teeth?

Sorry about that, KidV

I hope you could tell whether sound is of:
Electrical motor spinning, OR
flywheel mechanically spinning the motor without power to it.

My guesses would be:

1. Like mentioned above, Bendix gear does not retract (stuck? Weak spring?) so flywheel is spinning starter motor with it. Like someone mentions, "heat from friction makes crud smoke."
   
2. Solenoid plunger gets stuck (plunger bent? spring weak^^?) so contacts stay closed and keep supplying power to starter motor.
   
3. Starter gear sticks to flywheel teeth for some reason.
   
   Taking starter out, inspecting both starter and flywheel gears, & lubricating could help above.
   
   
4. Start contacts of IGN switch OR contacts of that improvised starter relay you added, OR solenoid contacts "weld" close or stick. Either of above 3 will keep power to battery even after you release ignition switch.
   
   
   Because you have an 85 (no stock starter relay), I believe you do not have a clutch safety switch which provides ground to starter relay coil when clutch is depressed. So, IF ST1 contacts of IGN switch are stuck, your added (mod) starter relay would energize right away, and start the cranking sequence.
   
   On mid-86's and later, because of the clutch safety switch, a stuck ST1 contact will only cause your problem IF clutch is depressed, OR IF clutch safety cancel is on.
   ​

​

Best of luck on fixing it.

 

[Jayzero911]

ok .. so heres one that will bake your noodle . This morning I decided to try something different .
initial start up (cold AM start) , did exactly the same as before , but before it smoothed out , I shut the key off . Starter still was cranking even with the key off , and it was an actual starter crank , not the flywheel dragging the bendix . This as with the initial start only lasts ~ 20-30 seconds .. but I don't know why it is doing this with the key off ?
and did I mention , this ONLY happens on the first initial start of the day ... after that all day long , she starts like a champ


.

Sounds like when I was 17 and my starter relay in my '83 Crow Victoria went bad. And the new one I put in was bad, First time I turned it over the starter would not disengage tell I disconnected the battery. I went back and checked all my wires and the second I re-contented the wires the car started (or maybe it just cranked over w/o starting) with the keys in my pocket, and the starter kept cranking tell I disconnected the battery again. Finally got a new GOOD relay and no more problems on the cold mornings... man that car was a lemon... memory's O memory's. lol

 

[77'911]

Mine's definitely trouble in the ignition switch, slacker. I have to manually rotate the key back from the Crank position, it's stopped doing it on it's own. Hopelessly gummed up or a worn out spring return, is my guess.

You might check the contacts behind that silver, or plated panel towards the lower portion of the unit. These contact sets are so problematic, our local dealer carries them. They don't usually carry basic tune up parts. I opted to just get a reman starter unit instead.
regards