To start out with, let's just go ahead and say it...I'm an idiot.

This morning, I grabbed a battery out of my boat and threw it in my 1997 T-100 (SR5 4X4 3.4L, 149k mi) so I could take a load of remodeling trash to the county dump. It wasn't the right battery, and it didn't really fit the hole, but I've made it work before. I tightened the strap down as best I could, hooked it up, started the truck, and left.

A few miles out, truck died. I had a feeling it was related to the battery, so I popped the hood and jumped out. The metal battery strap bent, got a little loose, and the battery shifted. The positive terminal hit the strap and shorted out. The ground cable was laying against the strap and got so hot it actually caught fire. Had to put it out with a can of pop. Shifted the battery back into place to get the pos term off the strap as quick as I could without burning myself.

Got back in the truck, put my foot on the brake, and the temp guage went all the way to the right and a few dash lights came on. The key was still in my hand. I knew right then it was sick, bad. Put the key in the ignition and it wouldn't turn over.

Long story short, I went and got a new battery thinking *maybe* that might help...nope. If I put the key in the ign, the buzzer comes on, but if I hit the brake it's like it kills the batt...almost like a dead batt, but it's brand new from the store.

Also, when I hook the batt up, I get a fairly loud 'click' from the top of the engine that I figured out I can stop from happening if I pull the EFI relay or fuse, either one.

No fuses were blown, btw.. Not that I could find, anyway. I'm pretty sure that EFI relay is toast, but I have a really bad feeling that's not even close to the end of my problems here. When I hook the batt up, I also get clicks that sound like they're coming from the passenger side firewall.

Folks, I need one of two things... I either need to know where to start trying to fix the truck, or I need someone to buy this truck as-is so I can move on with my life.. At this point, I could seriously go either way.

Any suggestions (or offers...lol) are much appreciated!

 

I've done the same thing before, Time for some new battery cables. They melted and are grounding/arching in lots of places. It could be worse for you, but when it happened to me, that's all that needed changing.

 

I can definitely start there, but did yours have similar symptoms afterward? What worries me most right now is the fact that it will "do stuff" without the key in the ignition now.. Like, hitting the brakes causes a couple of dash lights to come on, and the temp guage moves.. It's like hitting the brake somehow activates the ignition system. I dunno.

 

The positive cable from your battery might have melted itself into one of the other wires next to it in the loom, causing power to be accessible with out the key in the on or acc position. I would start with battery cables, because they are defiantly fried. Then start checking all the main grounds, ie engine to firewall, ground behind the kick panel next to fuses and ecu, because the insulation on them will most likely of melted and the wires could also be melted. Toyota's really like their grounds.

 

:jessica: Bad or non existing grounds will cause those light issues.

I would bet the fusible links opened and you just need to redo your battery cables and you will be up and running.

T100 one in a life time is enough you would have to pay me to take it.:jessica:

 

Ok cool, battery cables are where I'll start. I checked advance auto and they have one that's supposedly an 'exact fit' for a '97 T100, but the pos cable is like 78" in length.. Maybe that's the one, but six and a half feet sounds a little long to me...?

Anybody got any recommendations on where to pick up the *right* cables?

 

Where are you located??

If you were close I would be glad to make your cables.

Better to long then a foot to short.

The positive one is the long one .

The ground ones if the original battery terminals are still useable just get two ground cables with lugs one each end run one to the steel engine block the other to the inner fender.

That will take care of the major grounds:jessica:

 

I'm in central KY.. I think what I'll probably do is pull the cables and measure, then see if I can find some that are close -- but no shorter..lol -- than the OEMs.

I appreciate the offer to make some, though! Thx!

 

Quick update.. I looked at the pos cable and it looked OK, so I started by pulling the ground cable.. It's 54", nothing in stock anywhere. Bought a length of 4ga cable, a lug, an eyelet, some 10ga and an eyelet, and made one w/ a chassis pigtail. Hooked it all up and everything seems to be acting normal.

My only problem now is that instead of cranking, it's clicking.. That's not unusual though -- I needed to change the starter contacts about 3yrs ago and never did. I don't know exactly how (which is worrisome) but I think the whole battery fiasco finally pushed the dying starter over the edge.

So, now, I either replace the starter or the contacts and go from there. HOPEFULLY it will fire right up after that and run right, but we'll see.

FWIW, I think it was actually the broken chassis ground pigtail that was causing all the havoc with the dashlights and so forth.

 

Your #4 cable is on the light side!

To change the starter contacts after the starter is out remove the solenoid you will see them .

Pretty straight forward how they come out

It does not hurt to clean the plunger as well while you in there

 

I've watched a couple of videos on the contact replacement, and I don't think that would be a problem at all. My biggest worry is getting the starter off the truck. I had the tow driver back up into a little field/pasture area out past the house and we shoved it off there. I needed it to be somewhere out of the way, and at the time...well, he could have pushed it off a cliff and I really wouldn't have cared. Not the easiest place to work on it though, and I'm not all that inclined for this kind of stuff. We'll see how it goes.

As for the 4ga, it seemed more or less equivalent to what came out of it, so I figured it would be fine. It's got better/thicker insulation on it, I know that. Barely fit back in the loom w/ the hot cable.

 

SUCCESS! Just got aggravated with the whole situation, so I went out there with the key and a belly full of resolve that I WOULD get the truck started, if I had to sit there all night and listen to it go click click click click.. Well, it clicked about 4 times and VROOOM! -- fired right up!

As it turns out, the ground cables *needed* to be replaced, even before I messed it up. A lot of things on the interior that I'd chalked up to just 'tired truck syndrome' -- dim map lights, dim floorboard light, dim gear indicator lights, etc -- were all miraculously cured with a new chassis ground wire. Makes perfect sense, of course, but daggone...what a difference!

I'm all fired up right now.. Got my truck back! (still need starter contacts, but oh well..lol)

Thx for all the help, gentlemen.. I really appreciate it!