78 Toyota Hilux 5 speed manual.

The starter is very slow to turn, sometimes does not turn at all, it just clicks.
I have taken the starter off and test it at AutoZone, they said it's a good starter. Tested electrical current at starter wire and starter base to motor got 12.34 volts same as the battery. Installed starter back in the truck, same problem starter turns slow. It speeds up as I keep the key turned and electricity flowing, but not fast enough to crank the engine.

Any idea on what do do next?

 

Please check if your starter solenoid CONSISTENTLY works when you apply 12V directly from battery to its control pin as shown on my post here:
https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f199...l#post52367443

Back in those days Toyota electrical engineers were not as brilliant as its mechanical engineers.
Add a starter relay: https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f116...runner-307493/
AND check to make sure you have a good engine block ground:

 

I have gad some time last weekend to work on it. I got the battery charged at auto zone to 85% tested the battery and it is a good battery. I don't know why they did not charge it to 100% but hey here we are.



I put the battery in and the truck started right up, starter turned a little sluggish but fast enough to cranck the truck.



So it looks like I have a charging problem. Also when the truck sits for a few days the battery drains. How do you guys find a parasitic drain?

 

Check your battery voltage when the truck is running to see if your getting 14+ volts to the battery from your alternator & report back.

 

Ok, will check this sat.

 

I was just watching this the other day. Aimed at more modern cars, but still, the basics are the same.

 

Got a chance to work on the truck this sat. Thank you guys for all your suggestions I did all your recommended tests. This is what I found out. Truck off nothing on, voltage of battery 12.78V truck has been sitting for a week, battery has been connected. Running voltage is 14.7V, while starting when the starter is turning the battery drops to 11.65V. There is no parasitic draw on the battery, I pulled all fusses one by one and checked for ohm changes there was no change at all. Starter still clicks sometimes mostly when its cold before it starts, and it does kind of start slow then speeds up. If I drive around town for a while then it starts much faster but that morning cold start is sluggish.

What has been creating the problem is my alarm. It has been off for the past week and its the only think that has been added to the truck. The alarm has turned it self off I guess the stand by battery has died since the battery and truck have been off for the past 6 weeks. The alarm is an aftermarket Prestige Alarm, its a great alarm with door actuators capabilities which I highly recommend. I'm going to go talk to the installer and see what he recommends cause without it I will start to get break ins again.

 

I guess l’d start by cleaning ALL your grounds (file/grind/sand for metal to metal contact), then clean your battery posts & cable ends. This can be done relatively inexpensive. 🤑

You could pull the starter, put some juice to it & see how she kicks/spins?

 

When I was checking the battery voltage I also checked all the ground ends on the frame and the engine with the multimeter. Positive probe on the battery and negative touched all ground bolts, connectors and washers. There was no change in voltage when the truck was running or off. I could take them apart clean them and put them back together for piece of mind.

 

There could be excess resistance in the wires.
To test this conduct a voltage drop test.
Connect voltmeter positive lead to battery positive terminal.
Connect voltmeter negative lead to the large 'in' terminal on the solenoid.
With safety in mind (wheels chocked, hands clear, etc) crank the engine and read the meter (an assistant is handy).
This is reading how much load the cable adds to the system.
A reading of up to 0.5 volts is acceptable, higher and it's time to change the cable.
Repeat on the ground cable.
Checking the voltage drop between the large lugs on the solenoid will tell you how much resistance the contacts introduce.
If this is high, the solenoid can be taken apart and the contacts cleaned or replaced.

Most of these trucks came with a 1 kw starter.
If you would like, Toyota also offered a 1.4 kw starter that has extra oomph.

 

@Bunny Thank you so much for that info. I did not know that. The negative wire was changed 2 years ago when this problem first started, the positive cable I have not changed it. I could not find the right length for it at my local auto parts store. I actually went ahead and changed the starter. The start is night and day now. Cold starts, warm starts it just cranks. If I drive the car around town to run errands a simple flick of the key and the truck is running. Its quite impressive. I still get the click of the starter once in a while its not consistent but it does happen, after 2 - 3 clicks the starter starts again.

I got this STARTER if any one is entrusted.

 

Thank you for the follow up.

 

That is because the starter solenoid is not actuating ENERGETICALLY and does not completely close the contacts because of power loss on wiring, etc. Adding a starter relay will fix that.
Use Bosch style or find Toyota starter relay from later generations. Explained here: https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f116.../#post52422426