alecbrobra

what happens when a guy jimmys his solenoid to get his 1990 toyota 4runner 3vze v6 started, and upon installatiion and subsequent failure realizes that plastic spacer on the solenoid plunger was insulating the washer/contact plates positive charge from grounding out through the solenoid body. I ask cause after I went to the store, bought new contact hardware(this included a plunger set-up that cannot be disassembled or altered. ) installed all parts re-installed starter... surprise 20$$ starter works great.
FIRST I must admonish myself for not getting the parts and doing it right. jimmy is an extension of an art. if you do not know the art very well, you have no place tryin to make it work.
NOW I beg humbly of your compiled geniuses what did I F^#@ UP WITH MY DUMB IDEA?? It just turns over, no sputter, just the smell of gas, fuel pump is old n rumbly, but its a workin. OH YEAH, as i closed the hood to surrender for the night the electric cooling fan kicked on. I had to pull CDS2 from the fans circuit box (next to the engines box) as the key wasnt in the ignition and the engine hasnt run for three days I have been working this truck for four years. I really can believe I made such an obvious error with electricity,and will accept replies that focus on that moment of ineptitudinal attempt. please make me and all else laugh at this one.
PS dont forget to change your oil.

milehigheric

Im confused with all the rabble in the post.

You tried to fix a relay...what relay? This could be either EFI main relay, COR, or starter relay.

None of these relays have anything to do with the electric fan although the EFI relay could explain why it doesn't run. You smell fuel so im assuming it wasnt COR and your cranking so its not that starter relay.

Im just thinking alowed...what relay was it that you fixed? and have you replaced it now or not?

thedanned

Well, you made me laugh at least. What an odd post...

Step one: put the bong down

Step two: answer these questions


So bad starter lead to rebuilding the starter solenoid which lead to crank but no fire? And the fan kicked on at random? Is your electric rad fan stock? I thought the vee zee had a clutch fan, my 89 does anyway. Did your fuse block get unreasonably wet or something? You got spark?

Teuf

I'll take "confusing questions" for a 1000 Alex.

CappyKD

So your saying that you grounded out the starter? Start checking fuses. You got spark? Any signs of melting in the fuse box?

alecbrobra

I have to do some DMM searching today and then i'll have some details to give ya. sorry for the verbal blather. all of this takes place inside of the starters solenoid. removed the starter suspecting contact failure.........again..

I removed a small plastic spacer from between the contact washer and the plunger. (a bad idea attempt at closing the space between the contact plates, so it would start quick, cheap, and now.... RIGHT?)
with the starters solenoid assembled (minus that small plastic spacer) A circuit to ground was made through the plunger. I installed the starter. three attempts to start the engine, third one was silent, no relay sounds, no solenoid sound....It took me a few minutes to realize what I had done, and head to the store for new replacement stuff.

and as i mentioned, the new plunger/ contact washer was assembled as a single piece so you cant really fool with the parts, and it worked great!.
the new contacts look like the OEMs, (not the small ones in remanufactured starters[burned out after 18 months]. the kit came with those too.)

so the starter is working wunderbar, but something under the hood got bit by the loose electricity. I hunt around with the typical suspicions, but not sure. I have the ever insightful chilton manual to guide me.

I havent toyed with the relays yet, unless you consider that starter solenoid to be a relay?it has been fixed with new parts.
didnt take long to fail so I dont think any melting will be found, but I will look as that is a good visual cue. no burnt fuses makes me think a component took the bite. the electric fan is stock equipment.I read a post last night about checking that and repairing if found to be bad. need to check the spark today. thanks for the use of your brains.

alecbrobra

never you mind, it choked to life.. Fuel didnt want to make it to the party. I did a reset procedure on the VAF, and then with good power boost on the near death battery turned it till it sputtered to life.. 270,000+ miles and still going.....dont forget to change the oil!! I'll post some pics of my beast so you guys can drool over its dented body and totally stock set-up.. I'm sure a portal to hell has been opened within the heart of my toy, but thats what the fire extinguisher is for!!!

DeathCougar

iTrader: (23)

What does the fuel have to do with a starter solenoid?