RAD4Runner

Hi Mstolz,
You did not say what your engine is. If 22R-E, definitely look at links on my signature.
A problem well-stated is a problem half-solved
Best of luck.
RAD

mstolz

Thanks RAD, yup 22R-E and I've been reading your stuff this afternoon, great information. I'm sure this will help isolate it. I'm wiring stupid so this will help a ton!

RAD4Runner

Cool. So far, no one has ever confirmed that 88 and up 22R-E's do not have the flaw I mentioned so, definitely check for the flaw according to this:

Whether you find other problems or not the flaw is a real problem with Yota wiring,

wyoming9

iTrader: (1)

What I want to know was the stripped threads in the bell housing ever fixed??

As we all must remember the starter is grounded pretty much through those bolts. I am sure there is some ground coming from the contact of the starter housing to the bell housing .

So if the bolts are loose or real dirty you lose your ground no matter how good your new battery cables are .

Once the starter contacts start to get worn again it seems like the starter is failing again so replace starter again good for another time cycle.

In some cases I have run a ground direct to the starter .

mstolz

RAD, looks like my sons 89 pickup is a bit different than the 91 4running but sure the concepts are the same. turns out the starter relay is under the dash on the drivers side.

Question: where is the plastic thing with the four wires located for testing the wiring flaw? I don't see it in the engine compartment, so guess it's under the dash somewhere which I'm surprised with.

Thanks

RAD4Runner

Really? What's under the dash passenger side [unless you're down under ] is the Circuit Opening Relay (See my build post on that)

Starter relay with that connector is in engine compartment here.


Also see post on my sig to verify if that is clicking. However, even if it clicks, if you have too much resistance in circuit because of the flaw, you could still have intermittent issue. Even if your starting circuit works, if the flaw is not corrected, you still have a flawed system waiting to go bad on you.

Good luck,
RAD

jeetS

Well, I've been having the random intermittent start issue... Always started after cycling the key a couple times in a row...and only gave me trouble a couple times a month....until this morning... Won't crank
Found RADs awesome informative thread and did some diagnosing tonight...

86 22rte 5spd.
2year old denso reman starter

Starter relay clicks. So then I followed these directions from RAD

"Test Starter Solenoid:
Without "starting" ignition key, connect this terminal of starter solenoid directly to battery. Solenoid should thunk and starter would turn over.
If so, wire from relay and or circuit upstream of it is defective.

If no thunk, possibly:
Starter solenoid stuck/hard to actuate (smack it to test)
Solenoid coil bad. Measure resistance.

Solenoid thunks but no turn-over:[*]Solenoid contacts bad.[*]Power not getting to starter[*]Ground not connected well to starter[*]Starter motor bad."

Still nothing. When I apply power to that connector on the starter I get nothing except I quiet "click" from inside the cab on the drivers side... Which is weird...

Smacking it this am did nothing to help
I'm gonna tear down the starter tomorrow after work...

Any input?

RAD4Runner

Glad to help; The least I can do to give back to the Yota community that helped me find Ruby Tuesday.

Yes weird because the only thing that should click/thunk should be the starter solenoid (piggybacked on the starter motor). Just double-checking... You connected B+ to male spade on solenoid itself, not on female on wire, right?



If doing that caused no thunk, either:

• solenoid coil is bad (open) or connection to ground is open/bad (check resistance to ground), or
• plunger is stuck (should cause humming sound and sparks :o, because coil is struggling to actuate plunger)

If solenoid thunks but no turn-over:

• Coil OK, but still not closing contacts well (not enough juice because of poor ground)
• Coil OK but plunger mechanically stuck is not going all the way to close contacts. Smacking could help
• Bad contacts. Smacking could help

Most reliable way to see if you're getting enough power to solenoid is check current going to it when connected directly to battery, should get around 12 Amps on 22R-E.


[QUOTE]
Smacking it this am did nothing to help. I'm gonna tear down the starter tomorrow after work...[QUOTE]

Best of luck.

"Thunk" is past tense of think? - LOL!

jeetS

Lol...thunk is definitely past tense


Yep I did 12v from the battery to the male connector...

I'm gonna take it apart tonight and see what's up... I'll report back

jeetS

Wow.

Spent the last 3 hours on it.
Installed and subsequently dismantled 2 starters... Did the relay wire from the 40amp FL.... Still no worky although the solenoid was now definitely "thunking" loudly

I was sitting there with my head in the wheel well almost about to start weeping(not really) then I looked up and saw the bolt for the main ground connection
I grabbed a 14mm and tightened it a quarter turn and it now cranks beautifully!

What a joke

Thanks for the great write up RAD

On another note... When you are talking about which wire to cut for providing new power to the relay...you state that it gets power when the key is NOT in the start position... According to my FSM wiring diagram and my subsequent tests that wire only gets power when the key is in the START position ... After you tie it in to the FL then it is constant....

Correct me of I'm wrong :-)

wii_tarded

Bump, Bump. Has anyone had this problem on a 91 with the 3.0?