Hi all,

I just bought a 99 4runner LTD. It's been abused a bit in the past, so I'm trying to fix problems and get the maintenance caught up. It was running great until one morning last week when it would not start... No click, no crank... Nothing. I replaced the battery because it needed one anyway. Now, the dash lights up, but still nothing. I pulled the starter in an effort to replace the contacts and ended up busting off the little vent plugs in the process, so now I have a new starter. I'm trying to figure out where to go from here and am hoping y'all could give me some insight.

A couple of interesting points:

When I try to start the truck, I noticed yesterday that the odometer, radio and temp control are all blank, even in the Run position. No power at all to those, but the rest of the dash lights up. Does this sound like an ignition switch?

This is the first Toyota I've had with an automatic trans. I would like to test the neutral safety switch, but I can not shift out of park. Maybe the switch is jammed where the linkage passes through? Has anyone had this issue? If so, how did you get it to shift out of park?

Could this be a problem with the ignition control module (ICM)? I have seen these overheat, but never prevent the vehicle from starting in the first place. I may bring this to the parts store to get tested.

I have tested the relay with a multimeter and 9v battery. When the circuit is closed, I do hear a click and am getting a numerical reading with ohms, but it is 0.0. If it switches from the default reading of -1 to a numerical reading, it means the circuit is good, right? Even if it reads 0.0 ohms? I only have very basic knowledge of electronics, and even that is not so reliable sometimes.


Any suggestions or ideas?

 

make sure your battery cables and clamps are clean and corrosion free. Verify you get 12v to the starter signal wire when trying to start and 12v to the stater from the batter cable. Now make sure you have a good ground to the engine block and to the body. Verify you can turn the engine over by hand so its not seized up. There is a button near the shifter assembly you can push to shift out of park.

 

^^^ AND find a schematic so you can thoroughly trace where you should be getting power.

 

I was able to reach the pos connection from the battery into the starter this morning and there was 12v there. I didn't think to put a meter on the ignition wire going into the starter when I installed it. It's hard to reach, so I will do this when I get a chance to work on it again on Wednesday. The battery terminals are new and the starter seems to be grounded well by virtue of being bolted on. I don't see any other ground.

There is power going to the relay, so that would rule out the ignition switch, right?

The brake lights are working, so the brake sensor is good.

I shifted into neutral using the override, but it still won't start. I'm still curious why I need to use the override to shift. I have a feeling that these two issues are related, but I can't seem to find the link.

 

Problem solved. I started back from step 1 with the wiring diagram. The relay that tested ok a couple of days ago would no longer click when I jumped it with a 9v battery. Also, I found that the fusible link was blown, but it took a flashlight and a better pair of eyes to see it. Once I replaced both parts, the truck started right up and shifted properly.

RAD4Runner, thanks for the suggestion about the wiring diagram. It seems simple, but it clued me in to take a more than a glance at the link, and thus solved the problem.

 

Cool! Glad it's fixed. See? Many of our issues can be solved with a multi-meter, vision, hearing, touch/feel, sense of smell...
Happy weekend!

One problem with the newer trucks is the engine compartment is so crowded, it's hard to see/access things. It also discourages us from inspecting for potential problems, that we end up getting caught by surprise.

With my first-gen, I'd occasionaly just browse the engine compartment (i.e., while Missus browses the mall - LOL!), and on lazy days when I don't feel like going out, I'd lie down under the chassis and look around for leaks, wires rubbing (like this), parts wearing, etc.