Strange not starting...advice please

[lngbrdnpwdr]

'93 Yota:
Ok, so kind of acts like a dead battery, but just charged it all night. Put the key in, turn it and the dash lights come on, keep turning to start and click, dash lights go out and engine doesn't even try to start. Dash lights stay off until key is removed and re inserted. So what do you all think? Bad relay, starter, alternator, battery cable or what?

Thanks in advance!

 

[navyaircrew]

um, reading your post, i wonder, how did you charge the battery? did you take it outta the truck? did you take off the terminals, fill up with acid/water mixture if need be, clean up battery terminals on battery and battery connections.. put dielectric grease or vasaline on connectors and then rehook up? is it a manual or automatic? can you jump start it with a second battery just to add more cold cranking amps... maybe the batter shows over 12volts, but is shot.. .like the plates inside don't actually hold enough charge? try to spray WD-40 with the little red tube on the end, into the key slot in the ignition... perhaps connectivity is being lost in there, maybe that ignitiion went bad...

just thoughts that run through my mind...

 

[lngbrdnpwdr]

wow, quick reply, thanks. Charged it right in the car. Just had a tune up a week ago, so the terminals are clean, etc. I just went and tried it again and the battery is well charged, but I noticed when I left the key on and shifed the + battery cable the dash lights and door buzzers came back on and it started right up, seems like the wire comming off the + terminal going strait into the fuse box with the starter relay has a bad connection. Anyone had this experience? I'm guessing I need to replace that cable?

 

[navyaircrew]

well, if you can take the cable off? don't know how hard it is to get to or if it needs to come off.. but also , most cables like that , that aren't taken off and on a bunch, don't need to be replaced.... try to take off the cable ends, and with a pair of vice grips, give it a little squeeze... the clean off the connections and then perhaps add a lock washer to it... and some dielectric grease/vasaline... sounds like it is just a cable connector coming loose... i'd need to see a pic of it to tell more... i have a 4th gen.. soo..

 

[navyaircrew]

or one more thing, you can take out the relays/fuses and see if corrosion is building up on them.. that might also affect good connection

 

[Kaipo14]

I have been having a similar problem with my 85 runner. thought it was the batterie at first but that was fine. so I pulled out the starter and had that checked and that was fine. It turned out to be bad grounding. The copper under the rubber coating was all coroaded. I replaced it for $5 and have not had the problem since then.

 

[mosshorn]

I think I have your problem. This EXACT same problem just happened with my '94 4runner. My dad and I (I'm 16 by the way) could not figure out what was the problem at first, but once checking almost everything else, my dad figured out it is actually the starter. After removing it and cleaning it, it ran perfectly....for a couple weeks. So I had to go buy a new one ($160 or so from local auto parts store.) So try either cleaning the starter or buying a new one. I am almost sure that's your problem