Weird starting issue after stereo install

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kcyota

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Short version...

I installed an aftermarket stereo in my 06 yesterday, and then the car wouldn't start. Now it starts today, and it concerns me that it "fixed itself".

Long version...

I installed an aftermarket stereo in my 06 yesterday. I used a Crutchfield adapter and everything went smoothly. After wiring was done, I reconnected the negative battery terminal to test stereo operation. Everything was good, so I buttoned everything back up. Went to start the car and it wouldn't start. It would turn over... sort of... it was more of a wining sound than turning over. So I disconnected the battery terminal again and cleaned it. It seemed fine. Reconnected and same thing.

Today I go out to work on it. I did some reading online and somebody mentioned that the car might have lost its connection with the key. I really doubted this, but I tried the spare key anyway. Mostly the same thing as yesterday, but it seemed to try harder to start. So then I put my regular key in and it starts. It grumbled a bit but it did start. And it idled rough for a few seconds and then all seemed to be back to normal.

I wouldn't expect something like this to just fix itself. Any ideas what the problem was? Should I worry that it will happen again? Is there anything that I could have done during the stereo install to keep it from starting or is this pure coincidence?
 
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Stereo should have no bearing at all on whether the truck starts or not short of killing the battery.
Is it cranking slow or just dead?
I would think it just a coincidence and unfortunate timing.
Low or depleted battery (how old is it).
Is the alternator charging?
Just a few things to test.
 
Last edited:
i would think maybe battery too. I had to get a jump after I had my new head unit installed. The guys at the shop said the truck was very thirsty for the power and drained the battery way faster than they expected
 
wc11 said:
Stereo should have no bearing at all on whether the truck starts or not short of killing the battery.
Is it cranking slow or just dead?
I would think it just a coincidence and unfortunate timing.
Low or depleted battery (how old is it).
Is the alternator charging?
Just a few things to test.
Click to expand...

Not even cranking slow. Its hard to explain but it sounded like a normal start without the cranking. I'm sure that makes no sense... sorry. It was a sound that I've never heard before.

Battery was last replaced in Sept 2014.

Haven't tested the alternator.
 
Nope..thats a disabling feature of the alarm

kcyota said:
Not even cranking slow. Its hard to explain but it sounded like a normal start without the cranking. I'm sure that makes no sense... sorry. It was a sound that I've never heard before.

Battery was last replaced in Sept 2014.

Haven't tested the alternator.
Click to expand...

it will happen if you long pause the buttons or push them out of sequence. I had it happen as well.
I think you need to reprogram your fob b/c when you cut power some how it deprogrammed the fob
 
jrm said:
it will happen if you long pause the buttons or push them out of sequence. I had it happen as well.
I think you need to reprogram your fob b/c when you cut power some how it deprogrammed the fob
Click to expand...

I guess I don't follow. The fob works fine.
 
CXS said:
I think he's saying the immobilizer isn't programmed any more.
Click to expand...

If the immobilizer wasn't programmed/synced to the ECM anymore the vehicle would not start unless an immobilizer bypass was installed.

I think you mean "Keyless Entry" not Immobilizer.

It almost sounds like the bendix gear was having issues if it was "whining" when you started it the other day when it was having issues.
 
BlackWorksInc said:
It almost sounds like the bendix gear was having issues if it was "whining" when you started it the other day when it was having issues.
Click to expand...

"Whining" is a good way to describe what it was doing.

I have started and driven it several times today, and it seems fine now.
 
Both my old 2010 Tacoma and 2015 4Runner fail to start up the first time I turn it over after disconnecting the negative battery. No problem starting up the second time I turn it over.
 
Clean your throttle body. The throttle control module loses its memory when the battery is disconnected and will stick if it's dirty. Happens all the time in the shop


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It's probably nothing. I have owned an 06 gen4 since new and anytime I disconnect the battery for a long period of time it acts funny for a little while. I just installed an HID kit today and the same thing happened. It didn't start the first time then it started the second time and it wanted to shut off. It did that a few times and now it's running back to normal. If it continues for more then a few days then it maybe the battery needs a charge.
 
kcyota said:
Thanks guys! I guess I won't worry about it then.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't get concerned about it, but I would monitor the condition and note if it happens again/more frequently.

I am going to have to disagree with everyone else regarding this being a quirk of disconnecting the battery. The reason being that yes the vehicle will sometimes start and then die if the battery has been disconnected long enough. That's a result of the throttle body forgetting it's idle bypass measurement (and why you should clean the throttle body if it hasn't been done in a while after disconnecting the battery for a while.)

But what it seems like your describing (and please correct me if I am wrong) is the following:

-Turn the Key to "Start"
-The vehicle tries to start but all that you hear is a mechanical "Whining/Whirring Noise" and no sounds of the engine actually cranking over.

The above sounds to me like a momentary failure of the Bendix drive in the starter (the mechanism that pushes the spinning gear into the flywheel and then retracts it once the engine has started). It is most likely unrelated to the battery being disconnected and/or the radio install.

But I would keep an eye on it and note if the issue starts happening more often as it may indicate that the starter is on it's way out (I wouldn't condemn it yet since it's only happened once and hasn't occurred again.)
 
BlackWorksInc said:
But what it seems like your describing (and please correct me if I am wrong) is the following:

-Turn the Key to "Start"
-The vehicle tries to start but all that you hear is a mechanical "Whining/Whirring Noise" and no sounds of the engine actually cranking over.
Click to expand...

That is correct
 
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