OK, this one has got me stumped. I need some diagnosis please. I have a 99 tacoma, recently I get in to start it, press down on the clutch and all I get is a click like a dead battery. I get the same result at least twice, then let it sit for 20 seconds press in the clutch and it fires right up. The reason I am posting today, things have gotten worse I went to start up today and the same thing happened except once it fired up there was this whinning sound coming from the engine, like something was still turning that wasn't supposed to, I went to turn key to shut off and the engine kept trying to run and whirring sound, finally got it shut down. Waited 30 seconds and tryed again, started right up purring like normal. Help! Starter going bad? Alternator? I found the plunger for the clutch pedal it seems to have normal action to it.
problem with starting
- Thread starter colotaco
- Start date
Pikeman
Adventurer
This is the Classic Starter Contacts going bad. The starters in our trucks last forever but the soft copper contacts in the solenoid portion go bad.
Here are a couple other threads that talk about this subject:
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-gen-t4rs/63228-another-starter-contacts-removal-thread.html
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-gen-t4rs/55955-4runner-wont-start-only-clicks.html
Here are a couple other threads that talk about this subject:
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-gen-t4rs/63228-another-starter-contacts-removal-thread.html
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-gen-t4rs/55955-4runner-wont-start-only-clicks.html
I milked the "click"...."click"...."Vrooom" on my '97 Taco for a solid year and finally replaced it two weeks ago.
On the 3.4l motor, it's a pain in the butt to get the dang starter in and out of it's hidy hole.
Can't go up, as the head is the way.
Can't go down, as the suspension is in the way.
Can't go forward as the motor mount is in the way.
Can't go back as the exhaust is in the way.
The ONLY reasonble option was to disconnect the bracket holding the brake line at the frame, and gently bend it out of the way enough to thread the starter through.
To make it more fun, there is not enough clearance between the head of the bolt and the exhaust flange to get a socket in there. There is barely any room to get both hands on the wrench to break it free, let alone at an angle that my Popeye's could effectively muster the appropriate leverage. That silly little bolt holding the bracket to the frame required assisted leverage via a small pipe wedged between the exhaust and the wrench itself.
There most definetly are harder things to work on than this, but for a silly starter, I think the Taco engineers were just screwing with us.
On the 3.4l motor, it's a pain in the butt to get the dang starter in and out of it's hidy hole.
Can't go up, as the head is the way.
Can't go down, as the suspension is in the way.
Can't go forward as the motor mount is in the way.
Can't go back as the exhaust is in the way.
The ONLY reasonble option was to disconnect the bracket holding the brake line at the frame, and gently bend it out of the way enough to thread the starter through.
To make it more fun, there is not enough clearance between the head of the bolt and the exhaust flange to get a socket in there. There is barely any room to get both hands on the wrench to break it free, let alone at an angle that my Popeye's could effectively muster the appropriate leverage. That silly little bolt holding the bracket to the frame required assisted leverage via a small pipe wedged between the exhaust and the wrench itself.
There most definetly are harder things to work on than this, but for a silly starter, I think the Taco engineers were just screwing with us.
WhereTheHellIsJames?
Explorer
I milked the "click"...."click"...."Vrooom" on my '97 Taco for a solid year and finally replaced it two weeks ago.
On the 3.4l motor, it's a pain in the butt to get the dang starter in and out of it's hidy hole.
Can't go up, as the head is the way.
Can't go down, as the suspension is in the way.
Can't go forward as the motor mount is in the way.
Can't go back as the exhaust is in the way.
The ONLY reasonble option was to disconnect the bracket holding the brake line at the frame, and gently bend it out of the way enough to thread the starter through.
To make it more fun, there is not enough clearance between the head of the bolt and the exhaust flange to get a socket in there. There is barely any room to get both hands on the wrench to break it free, let alone at an angle that my Popeye's could effectively muster the appropriate leverage. That silly little bolt holding the bracket to the frame required assisted leverage via a small pipe wedged between the exhaust and the wrench itself.
There most definetly are harder things to work on than this, but for a silly starter, I think the Taco engineers were just screwing with us.
You hit the nail on the head... doing the contacts is the easy part of the job. Getting the dang starter out, then back in, is the hardest part. However, there is a way to do it without bending anything- it all has to do with turning the starter different directions. Just make sure to remember exactly how it came out, as that's the only way to get it back in!
With the front suspension member on my right, the brake line below to the left, the inner fender sheet metal above, and the darn exhaust flange right there too, I tried absolutely every conceivable twist and turn with no getting through the hole. Had to resort to undoing the brake line bracket and slightly bend it towards the rear of the truck to even get the option of pulling the starter out.
Our local Autozone didn't carry the contact rebuild kit any longer, but had the re-manufactured Nippondenso starter for $120 + core. I would have loved to fiddle with the contact rebuild as this would have given me more satisfaction of a job well done (I'm a self proclaimed gear head). But unable to locate the kit in a timely manner locally, I just replaced the whole starter.
Noted: This new starter has some serious cranking power, as it spins my motor over way better than the original starter ever did.
:REExeSquatsHL1:
Our local Autozone didn't carry the contact rebuild kit any longer, but had the re-manufactured Nippondenso starter for $120 + core. I would have loved to fiddle with the contact rebuild as this would have given me more satisfaction of a job well done (I'm a self proclaimed gear head). But unable to locate the kit in a timely manner locally, I just replaced the whole starter.
Noted: This new starter has some serious cranking power, as it spins my motor over way better than the original starter ever did.
:REExeSquatsHL1: