throwbackblack

I have a 91 single cab V6. Truck has 170k and runs great. Every other month or so, the truck does not start. You can hear the starter, fuel pump, etc on the turn of the key...just no crank. It has a new battery, starter and ignition switch. I am able to kick start it fine. After I get it started...it will run/start great for another couple weeks or months, then radomly have the same problem. I do notice that before the starting issue occurs again, there sometimes is a delay from when I turn my key to when the engine actually cranks. Other times when the truck doesn't start, I'll leave it parked for a couple days, jump back in, and it starts up like nothing every happened! Anybody got any ideas of where my issue is coming from?

fdp101452

Is the motor turning over? You say you can hear the starter, so is it turning the motor or just clicking. You need fuel, air and spark so if its turning over and you have fuel, check for spark.

throwbackblack

The starter clicks...no turn on the motor.

lofreqjeff

My 3.0 did that exact same thing on and off for a few years - recently I replaced the ignition switch wire harness thing and its been flawless since and that occasional hesitation is gone too.

I have friend with a 90 4Runner 3.0 with the same problem - he replaced the Ignitor and has not had an episode since.

fdp101452

What brand of starter did you use?

throwbackblack

Starter I used was from Napa.

bicklebok

Next time it happens, tap on the starter and see if it cranks. Although it may not be your problem, that is a symptom of a bad starter. Check all your connections too-battery, starter, ignition switch, etc.

rustypigeon

Did this same thing happen with both starters? Is it the starter that is actually making the click sound? You will have other things making clicking sounds such as the Starter Relay, and the Circuit Opening Relay when you move the key to the start position. The starter will make its own distinctive clicking sound. It's a much more solid sound than the relays.

Assuming that the starter plunger is making the clicking noise, I would check to make sure that the positive battery wire is attached securely at both ends and not corroded at either the battery or the starter.

Next time it acts up, there are two things to check with your multimeter. There are two wire terminals on the starter. There is a big wire that runs directly to the positive side of the battery, and a smaller wire that goes from the ignition switch, to the starter relay. You should have positive battery voltage at the positive wire terminal at all times, regardless of the key position. You should have positive voltage at the smaller wire terminal when the key is turned to the start position.

uijongbu87

If it clicks then you definitely have a functioning solinoid... You might have a dead spot on the starter. When it is starting fine, try and take note of how it is cracking. See if it is smooth all the way across or see if it is having trouble at certain points during it's rotation. I had a problem with my crappy Grand prix, turned out to be the issue, every now and then, when the starter would stop on the dead spot, it wouldn't crank. Throughout driving I could just bump the starter to hit the flywheel and move it off the dead part of the rotor.... Run great till I just happened to stop on the dead spot.

Although it could just be a terrible connection on your battery terminals. Ford F150 had same issue I worked on. Lights came on, everything worked great, but hit the starter, and it would click then, nothing.. Made a tighter connection and back in business....

blake.nemitz

also check the ground wire right next to it bolted to the block, i had a similar problem that drove me nuts and that ground was loose

throwbackblack

After replacing the starter the first time, the issue came back within a week...at that point, I realized that we did not have the starter heat shield. When we installed the heat shield, I returned the starter for a new one, and the same issues came with both starters.

I am sure the starter is clicking...I stood outside the truck to listen and it's definitely coming from the starter. During the first couple months of having this issue, we probably checked every wire connection possible. Each time, we thought to have found "the" bad connection and fixed it to no solution.

As I said in my first post, I can often times leave the truck sitting after having the issue and it would start up the following morning...well, it's now been sitting for 4 days with no luck of starting.

rustypigeon

Did you check for voltage at the two wires to the starter? The thick wire should have battery voltage at all times, the smaller wire should have battery voltage when the ignition is in the start position. Checking these two things will point us in the direction we need to go to find the problem.

Challenga

Check the ground on the starter.

throwbackblack

We checked the starter ground before replacing the starter. We also checked the voltage wires going to the starter and as rustypigeon mentioned, the voltage was as expected.

rustypigeon

Now try a voltage drop test. Put your multimeter in Volts mode. Put the red probe on the battery + terminal, and put the black probe on the battery connection at the starter (the big wire). Now get a helper to turn the key to the start position and note the reading. Any high resisance will show up as a voltage reading since the voltmeter "sees" a difference in potential at each side of the resistance. If you are getting a low reading, say less than about .04 volts, you can assume this connection is sound.

Now do the same thing on the ground side. Put the red probe of the multimeter on an unpainted area of the starter, and put the black probe on the negative terminal of the battery. Turn the key to the start position and note the reading. Again, you should be getting a very low reading on the voltmeter.

If you are getting any significant voltage readings while doing this test, you have found the problem area.

This test is important because it will find unsound wiring or connections. You may have a wire that will test good for continuity, but due to unseen damage or loose connections it can't pass the high current required for a starter.

Junkers88

The next time this happens run a wire directly from the + battery post to the starter actuator (on top of the starter) just make sure it's in neutral/park. I had the same issue on a 22re for months and after replacing the starter and ignition switch I still had it once in a while. The wire directly to the actuator made it start every time so I figured there was an issue somewhere in the wiring between the ignition and the starter. I installed a hot shot kit from Summit and the problem hasn't returned.

bcg1

Common problem. Not a bad starter or solenoid, per se. I have had the problem myself and have fixed w/o replaceing either.

The problem is with the copper contacts inside the solenoid. They get burned spots on them from use and then also wear away. I once fixed one of these by soldering a copper penny in place and filing it down. These copper contacts are available from most auto parts stores (O'Reilly/ Kragen) and are relativly simple to install once you have the starter out. Take the stamped steel cap off the the solenoid and it is pretty obvious where stuff goes. This will solve your problem.....for a little while. Read on....

This is a common problem with 89-95 trucks in both 4 and 6 cylinder versions because I feel the activator wire that goes to the solenoid does not carry enough current to properly activate the solenoid. It will work when the contacts are new but cause the aforementioned burns and excessive wear on the contacts. What I have done is use the stock actuator wire to fire an aftermarket solenoid (those little back square 30 amp lighting units) that supplies the solenoid through a 12 gauge wire. I did this a couple of years ago and it has solved the issue.

BTW, my 89 V6 still has the original starter after 304,000 miles.