So, I bought an '86 runner about a month ago. This thing was not a looker by any stretch of the imagination, but it was functional, and I am will to go from there. Well, one of the "interesting" features on this wreck was an alarm system...yeah. After about two weeks of riding this thing around and finding the many things wrong with it, I accidently tried to start the engine while it was in gear. Dumb, but usually not a big deal. Well, that alarm system was a little sensitive and decided to start blaring at six in the morning, oh and activate the kill switch that I had no idea about. Not having time to fix the problem since I had to get to work, (thank God for living with coworkers) I just disconnected the battery to shut it up. Coming home at the end of the day, I reconnected the battery to see what would happen. Of course the alarm came back to life, and I couldn't start the engine nor turn off the alarm. So in my infinite wisdom, I thought, "Hell, I'll just pull out the entire security system, I don't use the damn thing anyways." So after a couple of hours, the entire drivers dashboard area and the instrument panel is taken apart and I am holding the control module with the wires hanging out like an eviscerated animal. Feeling proud and cocky, I quickly reassemble the instruments and plastics, before testing to see if the engine will fire up. And, as some of you are probably guessing, the truck would still not start. In fact, it did nothing. No clicks, no whirs, no signs of life whatsoever. So ended day 1.
Well, over the next several days, I chased several leads, (which, incidently, is how I found this forum) and all failed to help. I replaced the battery. I traced all the wires leading from the steering column to see if anything was wrong. And always the same, the thing would not turn over. One afternoon, in tired desperation, I attempted to jump my truck from my buddy's car, and wouldn't you know it, it fired right up! I was astounded...and very confused. So I let it sit for a while to let the battery charge, parked it on a hill, (in case it didn't want to start again, so I could just do a rolling start) and turned it off hoping for the best. And, no surprise, it didn't start. And what was better is that when I let it roll a bit and put it in gear, it didn't start then either. The engine turned, but no spark. SON OF A @*&$#! So I jumped it again, and brought it back to the house. Several days later and purchasing a multimeter, I was getting frustrated. Eventually, I went slightly insane and decided it was the starter, so I replaced that. Still no good. The only way I could get it to start was from a jump, or hooking up two batteries in series. In a moment of tiredness and laziness, I hooked up one battery with the jumper cables straight to the ignition leads, and lo and behold, it started right up. Using what little sanity I had left, I scrubbed the leads, and not just the terminals, and tried it again. Worked like a charm.
Moral of the story: Start with the simple solutions. My father just said that you always pay for education, whether it's in the class room or out on the street.
P.S. Feel free to laugh/point out my total lack of common sense
Well, over the next several days, I chased several leads, (which, incidently, is how I found this forum) and all failed to help. I replaced the battery. I traced all the wires leading from the steering column to see if anything was wrong. And always the same, the thing would not turn over. One afternoon, in tired desperation, I attempted to jump my truck from my buddy's car, and wouldn't you know it, it fired right up! I was astounded...and very confused. So I let it sit for a while to let the battery charge, parked it on a hill, (in case it didn't want to start again, so I could just do a rolling start) and turned it off hoping for the best. And, no surprise, it didn't start. And what was better is that when I let it roll a bit and put it in gear, it didn't start then either. The engine turned, but no spark. SON OF A @*&$#! So I jumped it again, and brought it back to the house. Several days later and purchasing a multimeter, I was getting frustrated. Eventually, I went slightly insane and decided it was the starter, so I replaced that. Still no good. The only way I could get it to start was from a jump, or hooking up two batteries in series. In a moment of tiredness and laziness, I hooked up one battery with the jumper cables straight to the ignition leads, and lo and behold, it started right up. Using what little sanity I had left, I scrubbed the leads, and not just the terminals, and tried it again. Worked like a charm.
Moral of the story: Start with the simple solutions. My father just said that you always pay for education, whether it's in the class room or out on the street.
P.S. Feel free to laugh/point out my total lack of common sense
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