woza44

hi there
i have a 1990 4 runner 3vze. I posted a thread a month or so ago, trying to figure out why after changing the battery alternator and starter the engine wouldnt crank. Turned out the new battery was nackered. I replaced the battery in colombia and everything was fine for a couple of weeks, but now in peru im having problems again. Now there is never a problem cranking from cold. After a few hours driving, if i stop to get gas when i turn the key nothing happens i have to leave it 5 to 10 minutes then it cranks as normal.

any ideas?

cheers
warren

andykrow

battery posts and cables/clamps nice and clean and corrosion free? This has caused weird stuff for me before.

tried4x2signN

That's why every vehicle I have has a terminal cleaner in it...


Warren, sounds like a worn out starter... I drove an old Ford that did that one time. We would drive to work and cut it off where we met, and it wouldn't start again for a good 30 minutes. It would drag and drag like the battery was low... Let it cool down and it fired right up.

One guy called it a "hot starter". He said either the exhaust pipe close to it, or just the under hood temps made it drag like that..

It made sense b/c like your problem it went away after it cooled down.

mbomberz1

2nd on the Starter problem. If they get too hot it can cause them to lose power and or not work. I would assume after prolonged overheating it would kill it too. Do you have headers or anything that would be overheating it?

woza44

Terminals are nice and clean. Changed all the cables and connections running from the battery. Over heating sounds pretty fesable. I often do 12hr days on the road. Do you think making up some sort of heat reflector for the starter might help, or do you think the damage is done? cheers guys

Amnesiac

I had a similar issue and it ended up being a dirty ground connection. I cleaned a ground wire up and haven't had any issues since then (over a year).

TNRabbit

I would remove ALL grounds (battery to body, body to frame, check alternator bolts) & clean them properly, then replace the starter contacts for @ $22 US. You can sand the contact face of the rotor of the starter, too with fine sandpaper. That should solve your problem.

yotalaz

I just replaced my contacts on mon. and it was business as usual. then all of the sudden its clicking again and I have to use my mag light to rap on the starter. it always starts when i do that. should i replace the plunger? sorry to hijack this forum but i figured why not the issue is close to mine.

ChefYota4x4

iTrader: (5)

Everything above sounds like the crux of what your problem most likely is. However, since I had a different issue, I thought I'd throw it out there, just for Process of Elimination's sake.

NOT familiar with the 3.0, but my 22re I had years ago had a brand new starter, twice, and that's because I got two in a row from a defective 'lot' from the dealer. They had 1200 or so that they had to call back in. Also, on another occasion(somewhat mentioned up above), I replaced everything, like you, and one of the brand new wires had a good chunk of insulation gone and was grounding out, causing the starter to overheat. This was a 68 SS Chevelle, and finally, when stopping at a light, I saw smoke coming from the hood....it stalled, wouldn't start again, and THANK GOD! lol... Opened the hood and the entire Starter Cable insulation had melted off and the battery was swollen...about to explode! lol. Anyhow, it did EXACTLY what you're describing for a few weeks, before it finally overloaded the starter to the point it wouldn't displace the juice any more. Maybe check for voltage at the ECU and otherwise for 'voltage' while it's running.... see if you've got a 'constant', causing it to overload?

PS> PERU, eh? Whatcha doing down there?... Just curious... VERY beautiful, I've cooked for a family that vacationed down there and I was IN AWE!

Lawmaker

I have a similar problem. I smack mine with a hammer a few time and it starts right up. LOL

TNRabbit

What did the plunger look like? Pitted?

As above, check ALL your grounds. Can also be an ignition switch issue. These trucks are getting OLD & there's a mile of electrical wire & connections (& vacuum hoses!)...they're bound to start going south eventually.

angrydogtattoo

I had my 83 give me some fits, I replaced the plunger and the contacts but it was still clicking and giving me a fit, not on a constant basis, it would work perfect for a few months and then BAM, it would click, turns out the PO had put an isolator in and had cut the original battery cable, I was doing the tap on the starter trick with a small body hammer that I kept in the truck just for that, what I didn't know was that it wasn't the tapping that was fixing it but the moving of the wire by putting my hand down thru the maze to tap the starter, I found that I could just get out and wiggle my starter cable and that would make it work.

I replaced the battery cable and cleaned up all the grounds, been golden for two years now. I try to go out at least twice a year during my normal before winter after winter maintenance and clean the terminals and check things over.

I never really figured out what the PO was doing, but he had a power cable going back to the rear bumper, so maybe he was pulling a small camper or something, I found the cable still hooked up to the batter isolator and running to the back and just hanging from the frame(?!?!) it was just cut and dangling.

woza44

ill have ago on the earths next stop. Sorry when i said i changed the started what i should have said is i serviced it. Changed the contacts, they were pretty bad cleaned the surfaces.

thanks for your help ill let you know how it goes nothing worse than being in a dodgy city then fumbling round with keys !! ha ha

As for Peru.. Went for a drive to baja and couldnt stop. Spent the last few days driving through the Andes. Pretty amazing place Awesome driving!!!