i searched and cant find a problem like this. i have an 87 22r 5spd 4x4 and a 91 2wd 22re auto. the 2wd has a starter button with a direct hot from the battery so i know it not a saftey switch or anything. both of them if i come outside in the mornng and its below freezing point outside they both just click. i turn the key and there is 1 quiet click. if you wait until later in the day when it warms up, they fire right up.i tried chargibg the battery too and that has no effect. is this a common toyota thing?. please help i am at about whits end becaus ei have had starter problems before. i just can figure this out.

 

Just my opinion but it sounds like loose or dirty corroded battery clamps.If you have replaced the factory clamps with the " universal " clamps look under the clamp that holds the wires and make sure its clean and tight. Also check and make sure the battery wire going to the starter doesn't have corrosion peeking out under the insulation
Hope this helps and that your yotas start no matter what the temp.

 

Inspect connections.
understand what's going on, with your system,
Verify if you have first-gen wiring flaw, and fix it
Yes, we would like to know up to what generation hhs wiring flaw mentioned.

Best of luck,
RAD

 

If your inability to start is temperature dependent, your battery is probably at end-of-life. All batteries produce less power when cold; yours is just slipping below the minimum. Electrical connections can have a very slight temperature dependence, but not much.

You could take the battery to a shop with a "carbon pile"-type tester and have them take a look. You could put a voltmeter right on the battery and see what it says when you crank it; if the battery drops below, oh, 9v it's never going to start anything. Or you could just say "winter's comin', ma" and get a new battery on faith.

 

Hey RAD and SCOPE
Thanks for the great info . I made the mistake and assumed we were dealing with a known good battery. By the way checked out that link by rad on the starter relay
that is a huge duh! Now I got another thing to work on (LOL)
You learn something new every day if you keep your eyes and ears open