Hi guys, I'm pretty new here but I have experience in working on cars, though Toyotas are pretty new to me.

I have a 1990 4Runner V6 Automatic 2WD that's been in my family for about 8 years now. We bought it with 90k miles and it had been good to us until a few years ago it started having problems. The most common one was that it wouldn't start sometimes, it was pretty random, I'd drive to school (30mins away) and then after class it wouldn't start up. It would just make a clicking noise from the passenger side. We would literally have to wait 30mins-2 hours before it would crank over again. Then later on it started over heating to the point where we stopped driving it for about 3 years.

Now I recently have been trying to get it going again and I recently replaced the radiator, hoses and thermostat along with a new battery as well. All the lights come on and radio works but when I try and turn it on just makes the same clicking noise. I thought maybe it needed fresher gas and I added a gallon and still nothing.

I know the 3vze engine is notorious for having bad headgaskets that cause overheating and seizing. I think my 4Runner qualifies for the dealer to fix it under the SSC cause I found no sticker indicating it had been done already.

Maybe I'm just overlooking some simple things but I'm pretty much asking for any help to get this truck running once again.

Could it be seized? Should I try and crank it manually? Any help would be much appreciated.

 

sounds like bad starter contacts. easy and cheap fix. Hardest part is getting the starter out the passenger side fenderwell.

 

I agree.... sounds like a bad starter contacts in the solenoid... parts are cheap, but time consuming to get it done.

 

Thanks for the input guys, I shall try and get under the beast tomorrow and check that area.

 

next time it doesn't want to start smack the starter with a wrench or something and try again.

 

IF you think it may be seized from the over heating it did awhile back turn the motor over at the crank pully see if it turns

 

http://www.4x4wire.com/toyota/maintenance/starter/

 

starter is my guess

 

Yeah whack the starter with a tire iron, wrench, or the like....mine likes to do this once in a while too.

 

My '90 does this occasionally and believe it or not, blasting the cable and connectors at the starter LIBERALLY with WD40 or electronics cleaner works for me EVERY TIME. Never had luck whacking the starter on a 3VZE. Seems to work on the four bangers though. Obviously a temporary fix but it's much easier than swapping the starter if you don't have the time/resources. I have both but I'm lazy and it rarely acts up.

 

I have had 2 vehicles that continue doing this after new starter contacts. One of them is my trail only truck so I wired in a push button starter switch that bypasses everything and now it works fine. The other vehicle has a nice looking Napa reman starter on it and the contacts/plunger disc look great.

Conclusion- there is has to be another component(s) that fails, I just don't know what?

 

starter relay, ignition switch and battery cables.

 

Thanks again for all the links and suggestions guys, they were really helpful!

But sadly replacing the contacts didn't work :-\ I'm pretty bummed out about it.

I turn the key and I still hear that hollow click noise, it feels like the starter is getting no power or something. I also managed to turn the crank a little to make sure it wasn't seized, and I checked to see if there was fuel coming in cause I can hear and smell the gas in the engine bay. I just wish there was a way for me to isolate the problem area.