No click, no crank, no start...

So this Tacoma is actually my fathers and he asked if I’d help him since his not so tech savvy. So let me say he’s no novice when it comes to turning wrenches. But he started by trying to start it to move and changed the oil and got a “click”. Battery terminals looked rough so he cleaned and replaced and battery is good. So he then changed the starter, still nothing. He then changed the ignition switch, nothing. He then changed the starter relay and power outlet relay and still nothing. He went as far and changing the battery cables. We’re stumped and everything checks out. We have door chime, lights, dash lights. This thing seriously will not turnover we tried starting in park and neutral. Any ideas?

 

fuses?

 

Fuses check out.

 

Visual inspection or did you check continuity? I've had a fuse or 2 that look good but don't connect.

 

Have you checked if the battery is any good? The terminals need to be clean and tight put some gel on those posts so they dont rust , jump start it , is it a manual? If so jump the clutch

 

Ground wire somewhere

 

Op says battery is good.

 

you said in the op you said

do you mean cleaned and replaced the terminals, or did you replace the battery, too?

How old is the battery? How you do know it's good?

 

Because I checked the battery and it was good. And the terminals were replaced and posts were cleaned. We have power to the starter but no turn.

 

Did you load test it or just stick a voltmeter on it?

How old is that battery?

With your symptoms, I would have replaced, or at least had the battery load tested before replacing the starter, and all those other parts.

 

Power to the Starter (big wire)
Power to the solenoid
The cables are good
The battery is good

That pretty much leaves the starter.
A lot of the time, it isthe contacts.

See this video for what “usually” goes wrong.

https://youtu.be/cWm8j1SkUD8

 

Well the starter is new and was tested

 

Are you getting power to Black/White wire on the starter?
If not, check the starter relay?

Are you Auto or Manual?

 

Ok, I reread your first post.

If the stater relay is good (new) you still need power to the relay.
You have 2 different powers to the relay.
1 from the battery, 1 from the ignition switch.
You have 3 different fuse that power goes through.
Check them

120A Alt fuse
40A AM1
7.5A STA

Power also goes through the Park/Neutral Safety Switch for an Automatic.
Or the Clutch Start Switch for a Manual.
You should check these.

 

how long has it been sitting? Can you turn the crank shaft manually to see if the engine is free and not locked up? Also with the lights on and try to start does the lights dim? Like theres an electrical load on?

 

I thought of that, but then didn’t want to think of that.
That would be Bad, really BAD. I figured we would start with the “not so bad stuff”
2020 sucks enough. Lol

 

Yeah...sounds like for all intents its trying to turn starter over....

 

It would have to sit for hundreds of years not to start from internal corrosion if it ran when parked. I start my similar project truck once every six months with no problems. Hot rodders get cars running that have been sitting in fields for 70 years.

If you’re getting power to the starter, have you tried this what others have suggested and turn your headlights on and see if they dim when engaging the starter? If they are then you could check these measurements here from a thorough set of test procedures.



https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.howacarworks.com/ignition-system/checking-the-starter-circuit.amp

 

In prime conditions yes, but without knowing all the variables its not impossible...

 

If you had the hood off and plenum removed sure but cars out in fields get going on shows all the time. OP maybe you want to elaborate - did your dad leave this out in the snow for 20 years or sitting in the garage for 4 months