90' Pick up-Bizarre starting problems!
 

THE MACHINE: 1990 Yoda Pick Up, 4x4, 22RE engine, 5 Speed, 153,000 miles.
Replaced: Plugs, Plug Wires, Starter Coil.
Checked: All wires & connections, both under the hood and behind the dash.

THE PROBLEM: Starts (best) when warm, but not always. Cranks like mad but will not catch, I even tried heating up the engine with a space heater-no luck.
Now here is the "Bizarre" part: Yesterday it would not start, so I pushed it (by hand), out of my garage into my driveway, just for the heck of it I turned the key...it started, several times! Used it last night as we got more snow dumped on us, sat for three hours outside, went to start it...cranked but would not start,
The theory was that it might have been a ignition switch problem, solved when I pushed it into the driveway and moved the steering wheel and shifter all around. I tried that, moved both the shifter, the steering wheel, the clutch bypass switch, but nothing worked, UNTIL I turned the key two times with the truck in gear. I got her to "jump" forward twice, then took it out of gear and turned the key...it started! This morning I tried to start it again, you guessed it, NO START, lots of cranking, but no start. I tried all the tricks, the shifter, the bypass switch, the steering wheel, even the starting in gear thing, nothing works and I am going nuts! I would sacrifice a goat on the hood if I though it would help! Please point me in the right direction before I go postal.

The Toyota gods don't like the goat sacrafice, sacrafice a nissan instead!!! Seriously, try hitting the starter a few times with a hammer, then see if she'll start. Check all your grounds, wire connections for corrosion, clean up the terminal posts.....

You say it will crank but not "catch". Do you mean the starter is turning the engine over but the engine is just not starting? Or is the starter turning just not turning the engine?

If there was a problem with the ignition swith the starter would not turn over.

Check to see if you are getting spark and fuel. If you arent getting one or both of those that should narrow your problem down.

I would check the ignition system. My distributor cap had a crack and would sometimes do the same especially if it got any moisture around it.If all is good there it might be a fuel problem pump or filter

What I am getting is the same "sound" of the engine beginning to start, it just won't get there, no whirrrr sound, as in the starter spinning. Maybe the best way to say it is that it's not "firing" up. I will give the starter a few "love taps" and let you know if that awakens the beast.

That wont do a thing if the motor is turning over.

Figure out whats not working: Fuel or spark or both.

Your right, tapping on the starter did nothing. Also sacrificing the goat only got the guy next door pissed off, it was his goat. Do all goats wear pantty hose and a bra? Strange fellow that.

I did pull the #1 plug, felt dry, but did spark against the block when I hit the ignition.?

Now you know its gotta be a fuel delivery problem.

Turn the key on and try to hear the fuel pump.
If you cant hear it find the hot wire going to it. Mine was a blue wire but yours may be totaly different. If you have power there it could just be the fuel pump going bad.

May be the ciruit opening relay. It sends power to your fuel pump. I would think if it was the pump it wouldnt act up only when youre trying to start it.

Thanks, I will check it out, in fact I just picked up a Chilton Repair Manual on this truck which should help, will keep you all informed.

clogged fuel filter or a bad pump would be my guess... i just hope its the filter as that is an easy fix.

try checking the conection at the starter maybee take a file and clean up that power lead i had a hard start situation and that helped me so now i do it once a year because i live in a major snow area and those conections get dirty. this might help you..

No it wont. Trust me.

If your fuel pump is bad then you probably wont get a good steady stream of fuel to the rail. Disconnect the 19mm bolt from the filter going to the rail and turn the key to on, dont try to start it and see if you get a good stream of fuel, if not the worry about fuel sending units and pumps.

The 19mm bolt is located right behind the throttle bottle on the actual fuel rail.

You Guys are great, I will check everything out this weekend, there is more snow coming this way (Wisconsin), and I really need the Yoda to get back on the road, why can't this stuff happen in Summer or Fall, it's 22 out there!

PROBLEM SOLVED!
OK, Guys here is what happened. Inside the truck on the right side, under the forward kick panel, and above the "brain box" is the Circuit Opening Relay, this is the gizzmo that sends commands to the fuel pump. It had flipped upside down filled with water (fender or windshield gasket leak). The reason it would start only when warm (outside), is that when it was cold like today it FROZE into a solid ice cube, so the contacts couldn't move! Thawed it out, cleaned it up, wrapped it up with tape, and put it in rightside up. The Beast is Back!

It's good you found that and shared. Probably has happened to others in cold country. I had a '94 that had acted the same way. I ended up taking my starter apart and the brushes were completely worn. I tried to replace them and when that didn't work out, I put in a new starter. But it had acted the same and would start if I pushed it around. Tapping might have worked temporarily too.

that's a good find. it's really tough to track down those intermitant probs

Happy to share, I can't take all the credit, a "Tec." friend was able to "understand & follow" the wiring diagram, otherwise I would NEVER have found it. He also help me find out why my washer was not working; mice had chewed through the hose! Let Winter keep coming, now I am ready.