Fourbangin

Okay, so since everything was pretty warn out , I went ahead and did new battery, terminals, cables, fuses , starter relay. Starter and alternator are good and I tested to be sure. After all this , it'll put power to all the interior, yet won't even give it enough juice to start. I've double checked everything I did , all the connections and wiring and nothin... I'm so stumped right now . Am I over looking a stupid small problem?

bswarm

Does the engine crank over? I saw a guy replace a starter & battery because it wouldn't crank over, the engine was seized.

Fourbangin

When I turn the key all my interior stuff has power, but not a noise, no click or anything . It was running fine before the new stuff, but I decided to do replace everything at once . So I threw the old battery in to try again and same thing , turn the key, has full interior power but won't even click or make a noise

Odin

It does turn over right? If it doesn't try turning it by hand.

Just what tests did you do? Did you just verify there was 12V or did you do voltage drop tests?

Fourbangin

I've done both tests, and am not really getting any promising results . I really can't figure out where I'm losing current at. I can't figure out how all my lights , gauges , buzzer, radio , everything works , but it won't even attempt to crank the starter or anything . It's not losing power to the alternator, or relay , or any of that . According to tests it's giving almost no power to the starter

Fourbangin

And yes, the engine turns over alright

Mudd Duck 1

If you've already done a voltage drop test and it checked out, check your grounds?

Odin

Well, he did say he did both types of tests so I assume he tested both power and grounds.

bswarm

Might be a dud rebuilt starter, who knows what they did or didn't do.
(The following is copied from a previous post I made)
Toyota starters never need to be replaced. The only thing that goes wrong is the brushes wear down causing a no start/only clicks condition. The brushes are $15 at most (I got them for as low as $5) and are behind the gold cover held on by 3 screws at the back of the starter motor. Sometimes you also have to dress the shaft the brushes rub against with fine sandpaper if they're rough. If you can remove and replace the starter (which you have to do to replace them) you can replace the brushes. Just be careful with the insulators at the terminals, make sure everything goes back the way it came off. There is no soldering required, it's all bolt on stuff here. I've never had to get a crappy rebuilt and offered that option to my customers also, which were happy with it since it was at least $100 cheaper.

slow-mo

The vehicle's interior lights can function normally as they draw very low amperes. Whereas the starter draws a HUGE amount of amps. Plus they are on different circuits.



You either have corrosion that's preventing a solid connection (positive or negative), or a bad contact that's preventing a good connection.

Or a bad battery, but it doesn't sound like it since you say both new and old batteries does the same.

RAD4Runner

Got Schematic?
What truck are we talking about? An Escalade?
A problem well-stated is a problem half-solved.

Wanna share your results? Do you get power where there is supposed to be power? Ground where there is supposed to be ground? If not, what check point are we talking about?
You say no power to the starter/ You mean there is absolutely no 12V at the BIG starter solenoid terminal where the very thick cable from the battery screws into?

Punchy

Auto or stick?

scope103

For electrical problems, you always start with your multimeter (No, I won't believe you tried to replace a fi˟˟˟˟l of wiring without a multimeter, so if you didn't have one, get one http://www.harborfreight.com/7-funct...ter-98025.html, and just don't tell us)

Pull the solenoid wire (small one) off the starter, and confirm you get 12v to ground with key-start. If not, it's the starter relay (if you have one; you didn't give a year so I don't know), clutch switch, PN switch, or the ignition switch. (Or fuses, but if you haven't checked those yet I don't think I can help.) If you get 12v on that wire, but not even a click, you've got a bad starter. WAIT! Don't pull it yet, put your ohmmeter on the starter side of the solenoid wire and confirm that it's "open" to ground (it should be, basically, zero ohms).

Good luck!

decalman

I had the same problem when my 87 was automatic. Every once in a while it would not to anything. I had to tap the starter with something metal and it would start. I swapped the transmission with a 5 speed (a mechanic did it) 5 years ago and I'm still using the same starter and battery without any problems. My guess it had to do with the auto transmission sensor that checked if it was on parking. You never specified if you had an auto or manual transmission.

I would also

1. Double Check the small starter wire plug and all conections.

2. Turn the key to the on position and try to jump a direct cable from the battery to the starter to see if it starts.

3. Check the cable that comes from the key switch.

RAD4Runner

Possibly. You said you replaced your starter relay. Starter relay is supposed to click when you put ign in "Start" position You sure you put in a good one? Did you connect it properly?

Could be, but he does not even get a click. IF it were a 1986-1988 4Runner, as soon as the ign switch is put in "start" (assuming the ignition switch is good),
(1) The C.O.R. should click (C.O.R. does not affect cranking- just part of the sequence),
(2) starter relay should click, sending power to starter solenoid,
(3) Solenoid would thunk, sending power to starter motor...
Right now he does not even get to (1) or (2)

Amen!

This is the wire that Scope103 is talking about (first gen 4Runner/2nd Gen pickup. May look different on other model-year):



While you're at it, also use this to test if starter solenoid and starter motor are fine. If this cranks the engine, focus on finding where you lost power as discussed above.