Starter or Alternator

So I have been having trouble starting my truck. When I turn the key I get a single click and then nothing. Sometimes after 4-5 tries it turns over just fine. Here's the timeline:
1. Started about 6 months ago and I changed out the battery, they tested the old battery and it was bad. With new battery no problems for 3 months.
2. Same problem started with new battery. Took it in and had it tested all was good but they replaced it anyway. Again no problems for quite a while.
3. The same issue is back now intermittently only on some attempts the engine will start to turn and then stop like a dead battery. I cleaned off the terminals and battery clips really well (although they looked clean to begin with) and didn't have a problem again for a couple of weeks.
4. Truck wouldn't start yesterday morning so I hooked up some jumper cables and it fired up on the second turn.

I was originally thinking the starter was going and it was just a sticky solenoid or something but now I am wondering if it is the alternator. It seems to be ok if I am driving it to and from and has issues only after its been sitting for a while. I will get a multimeter on it today after it has sat for a while and see if it is loosing charge... but I would think this would be more of a problem while running not while parked if it were the alternator.

Any Ideas?

 

Starter.

 

I just had this happen to my truck. I thought it was the clutch start switch, but turned out to be a bad starter. When you go and buy a starter, make sure you get the right one. There is a 1.4kW power one and a 2 kW power one (which one your truck has depends on if the truck was sold in a cold climate).

 

Yup this was my thought as well. I have never had one so intermittent and so dependent on amount of charge in the battery. Usually when I have had one start to go it would not turn over until I pounded on the starter with a wrench or something. Any recommendations about replacements I can get it for $240 from Toyota (i can get it cheaper online but shipping and shipping back for core eat away the savings) and I can get a Duralast for $100-150.

 

Use your multi-meter and test the voltage at the battery when the truck is running. You should get a reading between 13.7-14.5 volts. If the charging system is working properly then get to a auto parts store and have them use one of new style battery testers. Midtronics or Solar testers work well. Have them test the battery with the engine off. It will indicate either a good battery, a battery with a low charge or the battery failed the test. A bad battery usually fails due to a bad cell. A bad cell keeps the battery from recharging once the truck is running. It will eventually loose enough cranking power and wont have enough "juice" to turn the starter motor. If both the battery and the charging system check out then it has to be the starter.

Starters can develop a flat spot which will cause intermittent problems. Another common intermittent problem could be that your starter is drawing too much amperage from the battery causing a strain on the charge of the battery. Only remedy for either of these issues is to replace the starter.

In any event this is a fairly easy problem to diagnose and not too difficult to repair no matter the cause.

Good luck--

 

Do you have aftermarket stereo, amps. Maybe amps not turning off with stereo. Will create quite a draw if it only happens after sitting awhile. Something drawing power while its off.

 

If when it's running you take the battery cable off and it dies...it's the alternator.

 

If you just replaced your battery, it should be just fine. But for testing purposes, test the battery voltage with the truck off (should he around 12.3-12.5 volts), and then test the voltage with the truck running (like the other poster said). If those are in those ranges, you know the battery and charging system are working. Like I said, my starter worked fine, and then one day (last Saturday), the truck would not start without bumping the key on and off.
I got my starter from Pep-Boys for around 120, its a reman.

 

I would first charge battery, and measure voltage, then start truck and see if there is a drop. If yes, pull alternator for rebuild.

 

That's not at all a good way to test the Alternator. And a good way to cause major electrical damage.

Please, Don't do this.

And I am going to go with it being the starter.

 

Not recommended. It could damage the electronics...

I also agree the starter solenoid is the issue IMO.

 

Sounds like the starter Solenoid to me. Alternator not really involved in starting the truck.

 

Yes and if it dies chances are it probably good won't run again unless you replace a lot of electronic parts along with the starter.

 

This was my first thought. I have an aftermarket AMP and was thinking maybe the remote shutoff wire might have gotten disconnected (I don't remember the polarity). I checked that yesterday and it is properly turning off when the ignition is off. I also checked the battery with a voltmeter after it was sitting for a while 12.5+ V and still had the same starting issues. As soon as if fired up it was sitting at 14.1V so the charging system and alternator seem to be ok and it doesn't look like anything is draining the battery while the truck is off. Looks like I am replacing the starter this weekend.

Are there any write ups, I didn't see any. It looks pretty straight forward... much more room than on my 90 4Runner that was a PITTA.

 

B4 jumping in to replace the starter clean the connections on the starter and the block ground. Not saying for sure that's the problem but I've seen these cause problems just as much as starters.

 

Looks like you have traced the problem to the starter circuit...I like to bring mine to independent rebuild shops, but almost any autoparts store should have a rebuilt on the shelf.

Howard

 

My .02 (US);
Last year traded a '00 sienna which, in the fall of '11 started doing the same thing. Sometimes it started, sometimes not. Replaced the battery, (6 years old) and the prob went away for a couple months.
Then one day it started but noticed a strange whirring noise in the engine; the starter hung and continued to run. After about a minute it shut off.....
So, told my dealer ; and he said starter. The battery being super fresh masked it for awhile, then (as it turns out) the solenoid was binding; not allowing full engage for the ring gear. sometimes yes, (cold, hot) who knows, sometimes 'click.'
A painful $550 later, no problems. Heard stories about the starter hanging and killing the battery, etc so opted for oem.
Recommend a new starter; could do the solenoid only and save, but a complete new assembly cuts out alot of guessing.

 

This is a good point but I think that I am just going to replace the starter (and clean up contacts when I do). The truck has 170,000 so I figure its about due. Also I have fooled myself into thinking the issue was gone and if cleaning up the connections made things better for a while I might get overconfident and end up stranded 6 miles down the trail. Just rather kill it now and forget about it.

I will try and take some pics and post any tricky info about the replacement, I haven't seen any threads describing this (I hope this means that it is super straight forward).

 

Rock Auto has starters for both the 4 and 6 cylinder motors for around $100...and that is certainly a cheap fix. You should also invest a some new cables while you are at it. I got over 200k in the original starter on my 94 toy pickup 5 lug.

 

With a charged battery, if you hear a click sound when you engage the starter, then it is most probably burned copper solenoid contacts. This is a very common problem. You can try to tap the starter to reseat the contacts. If that works, you should replace them. A new set of contacts runs less than $15 and take less than 30 minutes to replace once the starter has been removed.