Junetaco90

Hello lately I’ve been having issues with my truck starting. It only clicks and usually turns on after trying for 2-3 mins. The starter is new I replaced that 2 years ago. I should mention I drive the truck at least once a month I don’t know if that’s anything that’s causing this issue which I doubt. Anyone else had this problem in the past? How did fix this? Bad connection? Even when the truck has been on for a while. It’s got to the point where I don’t want to turn it off even when I go to the store I’m afraid it won’t turn on again. Any advice will be appreciated. Thank you

OldBlueMidnight

I had that symptom for years. I carried a small hammer in my truck and some tapping on the starter would get me going again 95% of the time. In my case it was bad windings on the starter itself, replacing the brushes didn't help. Eventually replaced the starter, don't need the hammer anymore.

In your case I'd start with the hammer trick, see if it gets you going again. If yes, you got a junk starter, could be brushes or windings. If no, could be bad connection, charging issue, battery, lots of possibilities if not the starter.

2ToyGuy

There's a quick, easy way to check if it's the starter or not.
Take a 10 or 12ga wire long enough to reach from the battery positive terminal to the starter. Crimp a female spade terminal on it that fits the male on the starter. There's only one on the starter. It has a brown wire going to it. Pull that off, and put your wire's terminal on it. DON'T TOUCH THE BATTERY YET!!

Make certain the heavy cable going to the starter from the battery positive terminal, the real heavy one that goes under a rubber guard on the starter, is properly attached, and both ends are clean, bare betal. It's important.

Make absolutely certain the truck's in neutral, both the transmission AND the transfer case. Make absolutely certain there's NO ONE in front of or behind the truck. Make certain the parking brake is on. If you can, chock the wheels. Double, and then triple check all of this stuff. You want to be certain beyond ANY question all those conditions are met.

Stand BESIDE the truck, near the passenger side, where you can reach the battery with your test wire. Touch the battery positive terminal with your wire. IF the starter, and the solenoid, are both OK, the starter will turn over the engine when you touch your wire to the battery positive terminal. Don't leave it on too long. A second or two is adequate. All you need to do is see if the starter will turn the engine.

If the starter is OK, it will turn over the engine like normal. This will tell you if it's the starter or solenoid, or something going TO the starter. Once you know for sure, one way or the other, you can remove your test wire, and attach the normal wire back onto the starter.

If you have one, check to be sure the starter relay works properly. Disconnect it from it's cable, and attach your test wire to the coil terminal, I think it's #3, of the relay. You'll need another test wire to connect the relay's coil ground terminal, I think it's #4, to ground,. Once it's energized, with B+ to one coil terminal and ground on the other, measure the resistance across the other two terminals. Number's 1 and 2, I believe. It should be zero, or nearly zero, ohms with the relay energized, and infinity with it de-energized.

If the relay is OK, chances are it's the key switch. The connections in the switch tend to build up corrosion on them. Causes the click-no-start problem. IF the relay and starter are ok.

Hoe this is some help...
Pat☺

Daved_and_Confuzed

My 85 would give me starting issues whenever it wanted to. Turned out to be bad connection at starter. I installed a trigger starter switch and that fixes the problem whenever it wants to act up

MaK92-4RnR

I assume you put in a denso starter? otherwise it's probably junk.