here are the specs on the truck:
1995 4runner 22re 4x4 5spd 150k

problem: all lights are functional so i know battery isnt dead. stick the key in the iginition and the chime does go off. go to turn the truck on and nothing. no click for the start, radio doesnt turn on, nothing. everything was fine when i drove it into the garage. came out this morning and it wont start. need help trying to figure out what is wrong please as its my only means of transportation.

other details: before this all happened i was having some sort of short somewhere in the dash. the HVAC controls would sometimes light up and then i would hit a bump and they would go black. i would hit the dash and they come back on. radio worked fine, all other lights worked fine. But when i would have the radio, wipers, lights on, and the HVAC controls where on. the lights would dim quite a bit. i just replaced the alternator and it works fine.

any help would be greatly appreciated cause without the truck, i cant work. like i said, the truck was perfect(except the above issue) and now it wont start. what should i check? ive started to tear into the dash but havent found anything yet.

 

Check your battery connections.

Does the CEL light come on when you turn the ignition to run?

 

im guessing you are saying it will not turn over

check starter relay. you probably wont hear the click of the relay from inside the cab. so if you can, have somebody turn the key for you. if you hear absolutely no clicks from the engine bay, a good thing to start with is the starter relay. pull it and smell it. sometimes they smell like toasty electronics when they blow. or leave it in its place in the power distribution box and put your finger on it as your assistant turns the key. if you dont feel the relay rattle itself, it may be the culprit. if you feel it rattle then move onto the starter solenoid.


here is a basic rundown of how the starter gets juice

battery>cable>ignition switch>relay>solenoid>starter

i would say your ignition switch is probably ok if it allows power to the dash lights and everything.

your solenoid is like another electro-mechanical switch for the starter.


guys let me know if im wrong at all in my breakdown of starting systems. i like helping people but i dont like giving bad info

 

Sounds about right.

Except that on some vehicles, the ignition switch supplies the 12v to the turn the starter relay on AND the 12v that the relay supplies to the starter:
From: http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/CheapTri...l#OtherOptions
(good starter troubleshooting info there by the way)



So theoretically, the ignition relay is doing little to nothing to help the starter get enough current for the solenoid to operate.

 

thats the problem though, the dash lights DONT light up. when you turn the key absolutely nothing happens. no dash lights, no radio, no "clutch start" switch engagement. nothing. its completely dead. i ran through it last night and couldnt find anything. anyone have any other ideas? i have work tomorrow and need to fix it asap!

thanks for the help!!

 

I missed this part:
That issue sounds like a ground or some other loose wire shorting since it started with just the heater/ac lighting then progressed to the whole dash. Or possibly an issue with a fuse or fuse holder that's not making good contact.
When you don't have dash lights, do your headlights, turn signals, hazards work?

 

yes. it basically acts like i dont have a key in the ignition. does that make sense? i still have interior/hazards/headlights that function. but basically the ignition/key does nothing now.