Okay, I have a 99 4runner and I just installed a red top optima. Now at random when I try to start it up the first time I turn the key nothing happens, the warning lights come on at the bottom of the dash but it won't turn over or anything. The second time I turn the key it starts up like normal. What is going on, could the extra juice from the optima be messing with my starter somehow.

Thanks for any help!

 

Double check the battery cable connections. One may have loosened up since you installed it and is causing the problem. Try wire brushing the connectors and battery terminals to get a clean surface. I usually add a film of the silver colored anti-sieze compound to mine, keeps if from corroding and the metal powder in the compound conducts well. If that does not help, see the page below for some more troubleshooting ideas:

http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/CheapTricks/Starter.shtml

 

4crawler has some good starter troubleshooting tips on his website...might help.

here is a link

 

So could the starter possibly be the same problem if the battery is fairly new??

 

If the problem is in the starter/solenoid or in the wiring connected to it, you could have 100 new batteries hooked up and it would still act up. Find out where the trouble is, using the troubleshooting steps on the web page above, then fix it and it should work fine.

 

I just had to replace my starter. it would start ever so often , I changed the battery also but in the end it was the starter. good luck