Starting Problem

[mmhoward1]

New here. Been lurking for years and usually find an answer by searching but now I am going to ask for for some help.

A couple of months ago my starter quit so I got new contacts and a plunger and fixed it. Worked great for for a for a while. One day I got in to drive home from work and turn the key and no sound and then turned the key again and it started right up. That continued to happen off and on. Now sometimes it clicks like the contacts are bad again and sometimes it does nothing at all and other times it starts fine.

Today I pulled it around to my garage to clean the battery terminals and go get a new battery because my battery has been going bad for a while and I figured it was time to get a new one. Before I pulled the old battery I went ahead and hooked the old one back up after cleaning everything and tried to crank it and it did nothing. Got the new battery and still nothing. I tapped the starter with a hammer and got the click sound that it makes when the contacts are bad twice and now nothing. I the relay is clicking so I know it is doing something when I turn the key.

Any ideas?

 

[mmhoward1]

A couple of more things that I have noticed.

1. A couple of weeks ago my locks quit popping up when I put it in park

2. When I turn the key to start I hear a hum coming from somewhere. I can't tell you where it is coming from. Sounds like the dash but that could be from anwhere. I put my ear on the 4wd selector and I can hear it and i can also hear it when I put my ear on the dash.

Thanks for any help on this.

 

[RAD4Runner]

New battery,but is it a fully-charged new battery? Did voltage checks?
Next only to our senses (hear, smell, see, feel anything?) the multi-meter is the most useful/important electrical troubleshooting tool.

 

[nc-grayson]

Not being a smart ass, but it could be something as simple as your battery terminals. I went through something similar a few weeks ago.

I had cranked the crap out of the battery terminal bolts, so I assumed they were making good contact. In my situation however, I learned that my factory battery terminals at 15 years old barely hugged the battery terminals although they looked like they were snug.

Changed terminals with a pack of cheap universal terminals at the auto parts store and it was a night and day difference. YMMV

 

[IBallEngineer]

Having to tap the starter indicates worn brushes. But that didn't actually solve anything for you. So do you have a multi-meter? Let's check voltage at the battery and the Starter relay. The starter relay should have battery voltage at terminal 5 all the time, and when you try to crank, it should have voltage at terminal 1.

This assumes the 7.5 amp start fuse is good, and the 40Amp power fuse is good too.

:couch2:

 

[jeremyc74]

I'd give all the main ground connections a good look. When you're having several issues that seem unrelated but all started happening at the same time there's often something unusual going on. Break the grounds loose, clean them up, and see if that makes any difference.

Also, is there a security system of any kind on the truck? Door locks and ignition circuit could both be affected by that if there is.

 

[3bears]

agree ^^^

check and clean your grounds, and your hots
when I first got mine, I could twist the ground terminal on the post by hand but was having no issue, just checking and doing preventative after buying truck. However, it inspired me to do the big 3 wire mod.

 

[mmhoward1]

Starting to think that it is the Neutral Safety Switch. I am thinking that the doors no unlocking in park anymore would be controlled by that switch. It does not crank in neutral or park and I have wiggled it around and still nothing.

Battery is fine and the cables are good. I changed the ends out a few months ago and cleaned them up real good before I put the new battery battery in.

Has anybody ever had a similar problem and it ended up being the NSS?

 

[IBallEngineer]

Starting to think that it is the Neutral Safety Switch. I am thinking that the doors no unlocking in park anymore would be controlled by that switch. It does not crank in neutral or park and I have wiggled it around and still nothing.

Battery is fine and the cables are good. I changed the ends out a few months ago and cleaned them up real good before I put the new battery battery in.

Has anybody ever had a similar problem and it ended up being the NSS?

If you performed the test at the starter relay that I suggested earlier, and it passed, it would rule out the NSS. If you have no voltage at terminal 1 while the ignition is in the start position, check the 7.5A Start fuse using an ohmmeter. If it's good, check for power at the fuse when cranking, if you have power, check for power at Terminal 9 of the neutral switch, if present while in crank position check at terminal 6, if there is power, the switch is good, if not it's not good.

 

[mmhoward1]

If you performed the test at the starter relay that I suggested earlier, and it passed, it would rule out the NSS. If you have no voltage at terminal 1 while the ignition is in the start position, check the 7.5A Start fuse using an ohmmeter. If it's good, check for power at the fuse when cranking, if you have power, check for power at Terminal 9 of the neutral switch, if present while in crank position check at terminal 6, if there is power, the switch is good, if not it's not good.

Thanks IBallEngineer. It is going to be this weekend before I can get out and look at it again. I am going to check the things you said and try to figure out what is wrong.

 

[foo]

If you performed the test at the starter relay that I suggested earlier, and it passed, it would rule out the NSS

I have a similar no-start problem on a manual 5-speed 2wd 4runner.

• What should I look for diagnostic tests (battery good, ignition good, no start sounds)

It's easy to get a lead on the bottom power connection to the starter solenoid, but, what's the trick to get a test lead on bare metal for the TOP starter solenoid power lead?

 

[mmhoward1]

Finally got back around to working on it. After checking the voltage on the starter I noticed that if I used something on the body as the ground it read 12.8v and if I used the starter as the ground I got some odd number. Ran a new ground from the battery to the alternator and all is fine now.

Thanks for everyone's help!