1988 22R 4 speed manual 195K miles. Battery is a one year old Optima Red Top, and fully charged (double checked with a maintainer). I took it in for a 15K mile service last weekend, and twice since then it won't start when I turn the key. All I get is a single "click" sound. The first time I thought the battery might have discharged, but it quickly got to full charge with a maintainer. This afternoon, the same thing happened. From reading some of the old posts here, it sounds like it might possibly be the starter contacts or starter solenoid. Given the mileage and symptoms, any other likely cause I should start looking in to? It's the original starter

 

When my 89 4Runner started doing that it ended up being the ignition switch - I tried everything including rebuilding the started and replacing the coil. It hasn't happened again since I swapped out the ignition switch wire harness thing. Very simple job too, but a little pricy at $105.

 

may be what lofreqjeff said the ignition switch.
you can sort of check that by running a wire fromthe battery + tothe small terminal on the starter and seeng if that will crank it over. if so, maybe a relay would help, wired so the key turns the relay on and the relay puts volts to the small wire on the starter.

 

go whack the starter with something and see if it makes a difference. redneck advice maybe but it works

 

Easy an cheap way... might tell you alot... the starters are something on these yotas...

 

i had a batt read 12.6v then when i go to start it my batt guage flatlines with one "click".
turned out to be the battery
maybe check volts while u try and start it?

It should never go below 9.6v

 

Had this happening on my truck a couple of days ago. It ended up being the battery. It was charged enough to run all the auxiliary items but not crank the engine over. Try jumping it. If that doesn't work run a lead to from the positive terminal to the starter and see if that gets it to go.

 

Original starter with 195K on it on an 88 model year. My money is on the starter contacts and/or plunger.

 

It also makes that click noise when the engine is seized.

Best thing to do is +B to the solinoid terminal on the starter. Either it goes or it don't. If not; put a socket on the front crank bolt and make sure it rolls over.

 

the jack handle behide the seats works great to hit the starter with

 

X2. The contacts only cost a few bucks to replace. Do that and come back.

If the battery wasn't so new, I'd suspect that, too. When my old battery finally gave up the ghost, it behaved exactly like this.

 

http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/CheapTricks/Starter.shtml
Posting the link FYI.

 

Thanks all for the info and suggestions. Given it's the holidays, I'm short of time, leaving town and too many other disasters going on in my life, I just took it to the dealer and let them handle it. After I described all the possibilities, the dealer diagnosis said it's the starter, so I told them to just go ahead and replace it and I'll pick it up some time after Christmas. I know this is the wrong thing to do, I should have just replaced the contacts myself, but right now time is the thing I'm most short of. I also know a rebuilt starter won't be as good as the original, but my truck will have rusted out to nothing before it goes another 200K miles, so I'm less worried about longevity at this point

 

Glad you got it fixed. I'm sure a rebuilt starter will be plenty reliable. We were just trying to save you money.

 

hopefully it will be reliable. i know what you mean about the shortage of time thing though. i couldnt even find anyone to help me replace a leaking clutch line tonight so i ended up doing it myself, but with the money i saved, pizza is on the way

 

I have an 88 4Runner that's doing the same thing. The first time it happened I hit the starter a few times and it started. So I replaced the starter. A few days later after driving it for about 30 min it did it again. The Battery is less than 6months old. I beat on the starter again to no avail. After a while it started again. I'm thinking it's a relay..... does anyone know which one it might be? The single click I get sounds like it's coming from the passenger side under the glovebox.

 

Ignition switch on steering column. Take a +B wire and run it to the solenoid terminal on the starter. That way you can start it manually with a PB switch.

 

ageed i put a new starter in then it did the same thing i just installed a push button from the parts store wired it like he said no problems since

 

It could be anything posted above, but don't forget to check your grounds, make sure the starter is getting as good ground. One way to make sure is run one from the battery directly to the starter. You can use some heavy guage wire or even jumper cables.

Rule the ground issue out early in the process. I bought a new starter after trying EVERYTHING else twice, but that wasn't the problem--it was the ground.

 

Great advice! I bought my Yota a little over a month ago. I got a parts truck to go with it... so I am lucky, but the wiring in some places makes my head hurt.... Had the same problem as stated above. A 17mm wrench wack cured it for now. But I will check the grounds when I re/re the "new" starter.