Notices
86-95 Trucks & 4Runners 2nd/3rd gen pickups, and 1st/2nd gen 4Runners with IFS
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by: DashLynx

New Fun Problem: Won't start when its hot outside..

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 04-15-2006, 08:28 AM
  #1  
Registered User
Thread Starter
 
dirtykaw's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Southern OR
Posts: 46
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
New Fun Problem: Won't start when its hot outside..

I'm fairly sure that this is a problem somewhere in the wiring to the starter. Occasionally, my truck refuses to try to start; it makes a little click coming from near the starter, but not quite the 'click' you would hear if the battery were dead.

This happened intermittantly throughout the spring, but it would usually start again after about 30 seconds without doing anything. However, it would start hard as if it was flooded or something.

More recently, you could jiggle with the wires to the starter and that seemed to help.

Yesteryday however, it was around 95 degrees here and I could not get her to start all day, even with playing with the wires. But when the sun went down, it turned over right away - but still started hard.

My obvious thought is to start replacing wires, but for some reason I have back luck with that...and why would the air temperature be a factor?
Old 04-15-2006, 09:05 AM
  #2  
Contributing Member
 
91_4x4runner's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: San Antonio, TX
Posts: 1,072
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
It could be a variety of things. You could take the battery to Interstate Batteries and have them put a load test on it; of course they'll prolly attempt to sell you a new battery along with the test. I don't think that the air temperature could have anything to do with it really...

What kind of battery do you have and how old is it?
Old 04-15-2006, 09:32 AM
  #3  
Registered User
 
kyle_22r's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Lacey, WA
Posts: 3,981
Likes: 0
Received 4 Likes on 4 Posts
maybe something to do with the AFM? i know that one of the tests has a different resistance reading for different air temperature ranges...
Old 04-15-2006, 10:17 AM
  #4  
ZUK
Registered User
iTrader: (1)
 
ZUK's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Prescott AZ
Posts: 1,845
Received 24 Likes on 22 Posts
Originally Posted by dirtykaw
I'm fairly sure that this is a problem somewhere in the wiring to the starter. Occasionally, my truck refuses to try to start; it makes a little click coming from near the starter, but not quite the 'click' you would hear if the battery were dead.

This happened intermittantly throughout the spring, but it would usually start again after about 30 seconds without doing anything. However, it would start hard as if it was flooded or something.

More recently, you could jiggle with the wires to the starter and that seemed to help.

Yesteryday however, it was around 95 degrees here and I could not get her to start all day, even with playing with the wires. But when the sun went down, it turned over right away - but still started hard.

My obvious thought is to start replacing wires, but for some reason I have back luck with that...and why would the air temperature be a factor?
This is a somewhat common prob and replacing the starter with a quality unit seems to work. Replacing or cleaning the selonoid contacts seems to help alot also.
I have heard that this may also be a poor voltage issue due to the thin long wiring. The fix is said to be to use a Ford selonoid or equiv and by-pass the Toyota starter on-board selonoid. (allow the key to activate the ford selonoid which activates a solid 12volts thru a 4 gauge wire directly to the starter hi-amp + post)

Last edited by ZUK; 04-15-2006 at 10:19 AM.
Old 04-19-2006, 03:36 PM
  #5  
Registered User
Thread Starter
 
dirtykaw's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Southern OR
Posts: 46
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Whoa.

Rather than do a bunch of crazy stuff or put anything American on my truck, I replaced the starter relay located near the battery. This appears to have worked.
Old 04-19-2006, 03:40 PM
  #6  
Registered User
 
midiwall's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Seattleish, WA
Posts: 9,048
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes on 2 Posts
Keep an eye on it... my vote was gonna be for starter contacts.

How old is the truck? There's nothing in your profile. (hint!)
Old 04-21-2006, 04:51 PM
  #7  
Registered User
Thread Starter
 
dirtykaw's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Southern OR
Posts: 46
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Oh, yeah, forgot to mention. Its an 89 with a 22re.

Well, since I replaced the starter relay this problem has reared its ugly head one more time. The truck started, however, on the 3rd try (after I took it out of reverse, if you like coincidence mechanics).

So I'm hopeful, but concerned. Especially since it hasn't been about 90 degrees here since I "fixed" the problem. A friend suggests replacing the fusible link between the pos side on the battery and the fuse box, so that is my next step if it fails again.
Old 04-22-2006, 03:13 AM
  #8  
Registered User
 
8422r4Runner's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Washington
Posts: 130
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Peel back the cover on the POS wire on the battery, see how much green crap is living in there. The click is often a sign not enough power is getting to the starter or the solenoid is going. But after you say wiggeling the wires helps, I'm back to dirty battery connections or the Pos wire is so full of green crap that the power can not flow down it, to reach the battery.
Old 04-22-2006, 05:25 AM
  #9  
Registered User
 
Flash319's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Barrie, Ontario CANADA
Posts: 1,730
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I fixed mine by putting some grease on the starter gear. The solinoid on these starters is what makes the contact for the motor winding. If the gear does not go out all the way then you get no power to the motor. The contact could be burned up and then you need a new starter as you can't buy just the coil.
The motor is getting flooded because when you turn the key to start the injectors give a shot. SO repeated atempts gets a bit to much gas in the cylinders so you need to crank a bit longer.
Old 04-22-2006, 02:30 PM
  #10  
Registered User
 
FR_Javier's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: hot hot heat AZ
Posts: 27
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/CheapTricks/Starter.shtml
Old 05-01-2006, 08:54 PM
  #11  
Registered User
 
Rory's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 34
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by Flash319
I fixed mine by putting some grease on the starter gear. The solinoid on these starters is what makes the contact for the motor winding. If the gear does not go out all the way then you get no power to the motor. The contact could be burned up and then you need a new starter as you can't buy just the coil.
The motor is getting flooded because when you turn the key to start the injectors give a shot. SO repeated atempts gets a bit to much gas in the cylinders so you need to crank a bit longer.

Why didn't you search for the starter contact replacement before giving this guy bad advice.
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
bigjstang
86-95 Trucks & 4Runners
20
08-25-2021 12:41 AM
smiley52
86-95 Trucks & 4Runners
8
07-11-2015 05:16 AM
Avenged
95.5-2004 Tacomas & 96-2002 4Runners
4
07-09-2015 07:55 AM
HRDC0R19
86-95 Trucks & 4Runners
3
07-05-2015 06:43 PM



Quick Reply: New Fun Problem: Won't start when its hot outside..



All times are GMT -8. The time now is 05:55 AM.