IBallEngineer
New member
Did you check with a voltmeter? If you have good voltage at both those locations, then it's your starter!
starting issue - contacts and more already done
- Thread starter PNW yota
- Start date
Did you check with a voltmeter? If you have good voltage at both those locations, then it's your starter!
PNW yota
New member
PNW yota
New member
I used a multimeter set to DC amps
IBallEngineer
New member
Well that won't help you? How do you know what you had? Amps is not Volts!
IBallEngineer
New member
PNW yota
New member
Did I ever claim to know what I'm doing. (Hang on while I read my posts...)
Nope!
I'm know you're the expert here with decades of experience but as I said before I'm not an expert, mechanic or electrician.
Feel free to stop posting on this thread.
PNW yota
New member
See post #26
dozerfrelich
New member
Have them test the solenoid
PNW yota
New member
Think I may have stumbled on the issue tonight. I found a thread on how to remove the park/neutral sensor and clean it up. I don't have a wrench large enough to remove it yet but I did pop the wire harness off and found this
Looks melted. Not sure how/why that would happen. I'll get the sensor off in a couple days.
Looks melted. Not sure how/why that would happen. I'll get the sensor off in a couple days.
Grenvilleter
New member
What TheDirk suggests is a good, sound technique that will determine if the starter is being "told" to turn over the engine at every time you command it.
If you use your voltmeter, become familiar with the instruction manual for it. You will want to measure 12 Volts Direct Current or commonly labeled 20VDC with -- symbol. This sets the range of the meter to read dc voltages up to 20 volts.
Many voltmeters also will read VAC with the ~ symbol and ranges much higher, typically 250-750 VAC. This is for measuring household voltages and don't be playing with that. It is dangerous even while using a meter.
To measure current, commonly called Amps, the meter leads must be configured differently and you will burn out your meter, again if not done properly. Your meter's current or AMPS function is of little use here.
A small, insulated check wire from the small terminal of your starter up into the cab would allow you to verify your starter is being told to start when it finally fails on you. Assuming the large cable is well snugged onto the starter could be a mistake as well but usually, if a poor connection is the problem, it will not resume working until a new contact point is made by loosening the cable on the starter, giving it a 1/8 turn and torquing it back up.
Then it comes back to the starter itself again. There were different thicknesses and sizes of contacts available when rebuilding a starter. I think at the toyota dealership, there were 3 different sizes and the parts guy had to see what contacts were in mine to get the right ones. It is quite feasible that the rebuild shop used a thinner contactor connector and when the solenoid copper washer tries to make contact with the armature contacts within the starter motor, it sometimes don't make a good connection resulting in an intermittent operating starter motor.
Possible flat spot on that big copper plunger washer could cause the symptoms you describe and repeated attempts result in the washer turning as it was designed back onto a place where the washer can again make good contacts against the armature contactors.
Don't be taking all that dielectric grease out of the connector shown in photo above. A quick glance does not look to me to be melted. Plug it back in and confirm your starter is not getting its trigger voltage before you start messing with safety switches etc. If you are getting the trigger voltage, it is not the neutral/park safety switch. If not, then time to investigate why.
If you use your voltmeter, become familiar with the instruction manual for it. You will want to measure 12 Volts Direct Current or commonly labeled 20VDC with -- symbol. This sets the range of the meter to read dc voltages up to 20 volts.
Many voltmeters also will read VAC with the ~ symbol and ranges much higher, typically 250-750 VAC. This is for measuring household voltages and don't be playing with that. It is dangerous even while using a meter.
To measure current, commonly called Amps, the meter leads must be configured differently and you will burn out your meter, again if not done properly. Your meter's current or AMPS function is of little use here.
A small, insulated check wire from the small terminal of your starter up into the cab would allow you to verify your starter is being told to start when it finally fails on you. Assuming the large cable is well snugged onto the starter could be a mistake as well but usually, if a poor connection is the problem, it will not resume working until a new contact point is made by loosening the cable on the starter, giving it a 1/8 turn and torquing it back up.
Then it comes back to the starter itself again. There were different thicknesses and sizes of contacts available when rebuilding a starter. I think at the toyota dealership, there were 3 different sizes and the parts guy had to see what contacts were in mine to get the right ones. It is quite feasible that the rebuild shop used a thinner contactor connector and when the solenoid copper washer tries to make contact with the armature contacts within the starter motor, it sometimes don't make a good connection resulting in an intermittent operating starter motor.
Possible flat spot on that big copper plunger washer could cause the symptoms you describe and repeated attempts result in the washer turning as it was designed back onto a place where the washer can again make good contacts against the armature contactors.
Don't be taking all that dielectric grease out of the connector shown in photo above. A quick glance does not look to me to be melted. Plug it back in and confirm your starter is not getting its trigger voltage before you start messing with safety switches etc. If you are getting the trigger voltage, it is not the neutral/park safety switch. If not, then time to investigate why.
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PNW yota
New member
I did the contacts myself. Took them into the dealership and they matched the ones I needed. He looked at the plunger and said it's fine. In fact he said the old contacts didn't look that bad either.
When I took the starter to the actual starter/alternator shop I was just intending to have it checked before the hassle of putting it back in. That's when he replaced all my bearings since they were bad and replaced the plunger as well. He then tested the starter on a bench (I heard it) multiple times. I assume since it was all reassembled at that point that he grounded the case, hooked up a battery to the main terminal and hit the signal wire with 12v to test it (he was behind a bench so I didn't see exactly how he hooked it up). I'm probably wrong here but I assume that tests the solenoid.
But yet again this seems to happen once every 8-10 starts and he probably tested it half a dozen times.
I'll get back down there when I have some help (someone to turn the key) and check everything for volts instead of amps.
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PNW yota
New member
Is it possible to test the starter, when fully assembled, without activating/testing the solenoid?
dozerfrelich
New member
Not that I know of. I found out mine was bad by taking off the cover where the contacts are and looking at the wires underneath the contacts. I also had a strong burnt electronic smell coming from it. If you really want to rule out the starter completely grab a wire that is attached to a 12v source and touch it to the single wire on the starter. If it dosnt engage replace your starter.
PNW yota
New member
Im going to try doing post #8 from this thread tomorrow to see if it makes any difference.
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-gen-t4rs/119812-99-not-starting-neutral-safety-switch.html
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-gen-t4rs/119812-99-not-starting-neutral-safety-switch.html
