I have a 94 Toyota Pickup with 22RE and when I turn the key I hear a clicking noise and sometimes it takes a couple of times of turning the key and then she fires right up and it's not every time just here and there but I know it's going to get worse. I changed my + & - battery cables and that didnt fix it. Is there anything going to the starter that would cause this? Thanks

 

Sound like one or more dead spots in the starter. If it happens to stop spinning, and the dead spot(s) is lined up, it will prevent a start until something moves it a little (i.e. a wrech).

 

If your starter is made like mine, it may just need new contacts. Pull it and take it to your local dealer. Or see if there is a little plate on the back of the starter with three 7mm bolts holding it on. If so, take them out. There will be aspring loaded plunger that will slide out. On the sides there will be a little copper pieces (one on each side) held on with the bolts you connect the main wires for the starter. The wear should be obvious. If this is the problem it should be easy & cheap to fix.
I hope this helped.
Good Luck,
Brent

 

P.S.
My truck was displaying the same symtoms. Does it start better when it is warm? If so, I'm pretty sure it is the contacts.

 

I had the same problem with the same symptoms. Mine also started more reliably when the weather warmed up. Couldn't start it at all during the winter.

My two cents: I changed my starter contacts and the problem didn't go away. I replaced the starter and that fixed it. Curious, I opened the old starter up to check the contacts. One was slightly crooked causing the other to not make contact. The crooked one had rub marks on one edge, and the other didn't have a mark on it. Moral of the story: If you replace the contacts, make sure they're straight.

 

You just need new solenoid contacts. You can get contacts HERE >> http://www.startercontacts.com

 

I'm having a similar problem with the starter on my 94 3.0 has anybody got a sketch of the contacts in place or is it obvious when you open it up? 2nd... can this repair be done with the starter on the block or do i have to pull it first? thanks aviator

 

I've heard of people replacing the contacts with the starter still in the vehicle, but I don't know how they managed to do it. There isn't much room in there. I really think it would be easier to take the starter out and do it on a workbench. Of course, getting the starter out really isn't that easy.

Here are some links that should help you out, though:

2nd Gen Starter Replacement (Yotatech)
Basic Starter Repair (Off-Road.com)
Cheap Toyota Starter Repair (4Crawler)
Starter Contact Repair (4x4 Wire)

 

I had similar problems, but it seemed that the battery was dead. Turned out to be the stupid design of the battery contact and it was arching between the two pieces of the contact. grrrr...

 

my truck is having a hard time starting up too..it'll choke 3 times or so and then fire up...any ideas??
how much for a new starter or alternator? just want to figure out the price of the worst case scenario..