Won't Start Until Battery Disconnect/Reconnect

PROBLEM
The truck will intermittently not start. No attempt to turn over.
When this happens, all the lights dim; interior, dash, radio, as if the battery were weak.
Right before cranking everything is perfectly fine, all lights come on, everything looks normal.
There's an ugly sounding and sad click right at turning the key to crank and then nuthin'.
After "fixing", it will work for about a week. Consistently. It's been 6-7 days in between almost exactly each item.

RECENT WORK

• New maintenance-free battery 9 months ago.
• New starter 3 months ago.
• New electronic ignition igniter 3 months ago.
• New crankshaft position sensor 3 months ago.
• New distributor 2 months ago.
• New ignition coil 2 months ago.
• New alternator <1 week ago.

TROUBLESHOOTING
Started happening about 3 weeks ago. I got it jumped the 1st two times it happened. Got home, tested the battery. Nearly a full charge. So it can't be the battery. After a jump, if I turn it off again, it will not start by itself. Can't find any bad fuses (visibly).

I figured given the other newish parts, I was left with the alternator. Took my existing 10+ year old alternator to get tested. Tested fine. Replaced it, truck started. Weird. Happened a week ago again, though. Figured my alternator was intermittently bad. So I replaced it regardless of testing just last week. Worked for almost a week. Just happened again today.

So, figured out today that if I disconnect the battery, then reconnect it (just a hot minute before reconnecting, not leaving it off for any significant time), it works. Not the battery itself. The connections are tight. And very clean.

The only interweb suggestions I saw about this are either alarm related, or alternator. My truck doesn't have an alarm. In fact, if it were stolen, I'd be pretty damn grateful. And I just replaced the alternator in addition to my old one testing fine.

So ... thoughts?

 

It is possible to have under insulation corrosion on battery cables. Most of the time you can see it right where the cable connects to the lug. But sometimes a pinhole in the insulation anywhere along the length can allow moisture in and corrosion to begin. I'd just replace the cables and give it a try before digging deeper.

 

Most here rebuild starters with the brush and plunger kit because the aftermarket new and remanned SUK
Rebuild the OEM $
Buy new OEM $$$
Replace failed aftermarket starters more often because they SUK

 

more than likely your battery cables, both positive and negative are in need of replacing. There are a few posts here showing what to do.

 

I had a similar issue with my 4runner. There was hidden corrosion under the batter cable insulation.

The corrosion would "shift" allowing the truck to start when connecting and disconnecting the battery cables.

Truck would start fine for a few weeks then the same issue would happen again.

The cable that was the culprit was the battery ground cable to the fender wall.

That guy looked really clean visually, but under the insulation it was CORROSION EVERYWHERE.

 

I thought the battery cables, other than the ground, was part of the wiring harness, in general. Just those are replaceable? Recommendations on where to start? I don't see any readily apparent posts here on that.

 

this is going to turn out to be real simple, you got a loose or corroded connector somewhere. stop throwing money at it. you have already been given the right advice.

 

If this is a 95 with the original battery cables long after time to have replaced them .

The extra added Current when jumped can push through the added resistance of the corroded cables.

I would also look real close at the terminals is one coming loose after a few days causing problems.

I really hope you bought the Alternator at a Toyota Dealer if not you traded down .

 

Have you looked at the ignition switch itself?

 

Yes, they are replaceable and not part of the wiring harness

 

Here is an example of what is being said about possible internal corrosion in your battery cables. When my wipers came on (switch off) and I couldn't get them to shutoff, I found the damage in the first pic. When I shaved some insulation off, I found the internal corrosion.

 

Thank you, everyone! I'll take a hard look at these wires and probably just replace them anyway since they're probably original (although I've only had it for 10 years) and report back.

The ignition switch was looked at a few months ago since there was some other starting issues that a shop was investigating. They said there weren't any indications (at the time) that it was a problem.

 

If you had it in a shop and They they didn’t replace 10+ year old cables first find another shop.

Sounds like they replaced some expensive bits without looking at the most probable cause.

 

A shop hasn't looked at the truck since this specific problem started happening. There was a different problem with starting that they got worked out. 2020 has been the year of my truck not starting for various reasons. Luckily, there's not a whole lot of places to go down here in Florida in 2020. So just a minor inconvenience.

 

Check your ground cable connected to chassis. It happened to me long time ago. I made a bigger ground cable and replaced it, resolved!

 

I replaced the positive and negative battery cables today (cables came with terminal connectors already attached, too). While replacing them, I didn't notice any loose connections. Looking at the cables while they are out and easily inspectable, I do not see any noticable concerns. The negative cable seems fairly new. The positive was obviously older. No damage to the wires or insulation. No visible corrosion.

They're new now, though. And everything is definitely tight and snug, ground included.

Since it's been happening almost weekly, I figure if it doesn't occur in two weeks then the cables were the issue. I've got my fingers crossed. I'll check back in then. Fingers crossed. Jumper cables at the ready.

 

Did you check all the ground posts and make sure theres no corrosion?

Cut all the insulation from cables off and check if they were corroded.

 

With a voltmeter you could have easily found the connection issue (if that’s what fixed it) by performing voltage drop tests between every point on both the positive and negative cables, but only when it would not start. If your interior lights and everything was going dead when it made the click noise, that definitely sounds like a connection issue, whether inside the cable or wherever.
BTW if any of you see some half assed mechanic stabbing wire insulation on your truck with a test light, rip it out of his hands and stab that bastard with it. It’s ok to do if you know you’re going to have to open the circuit anyway, you can fix it with adhesive heat shrink tubing. Countless times this is the cause of the internal corrosion of wires, some jackass stabbing the wire, then leaving it like that to slowly corrode, and end up at my shop. Smh... rant over

 

How long has the problem occurred? Trying to get an idea of if it started before or after you put all those new parts on it.

 

True words. Heck the OP’s problem could have started during earlier “repairs”.

Testing as mentioned can take time and you need to know how. It’s often easier to just replace the cables, especially if they are older.

Replacing cables is a PM that’s rarely done.