FJ80 Intermittent Starting issues. Code 25/26 or battery issue? (1 Viewer)

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Also, just in case the actual relay is good, can anyone translate this to me in layman’s terms?

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What’s funny is the my blower doesn’t work on high. When I max out the blower, it actually gets weak. So it’s goes like , “weak, strong, stronger, weak” haha.

But I do have an extra relay sitting in the truck right now. Will go on my lunch break.
The cooling fan relay and the blower high relay look to be the same as the EFI. My 80 had the same blower issue until i replaced that relay.

 
Just went out to my truck.
Charge light, A/T, and CEL all on. Truck fired up no problem.
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So when I get home in the morning, I’ll pop my spare relay in. It’s not OEM, it’s one I had ordered from rock auto. So hopefully that’ll work.
 
Also, just in case the actual relay is good, can anyone translate this to me in layman’s terms?
What don't you understand about that set of instructions? I thought I was pretty clear.
No CEL=No Start. Don’t even bother cranking the starter.
Make sure the EFI MAIN relay contacts are in good shape in the relay box. If the engine is running and you wiggle the EFI MAIN relay, does she stall out?
There is also a replacement relay from a Toyota Camry that works well. Toyota part # 28300-16010.
 
What don't you understand about that set of instructions? I thought I was pretty clear.
No CEL=No Start. Don’t even bother cranking the starter.
Make sure the EFI MAIN relay contacts are in good shape in the relay box. If the engine is running and you wiggle the EFI MAIN relay, does she stall out?
There is also a replacement relay from a Toyota Camry that works well. Toyota part # 28300-16010.
I guess it’s not so much that I didn’t understand it, it was more so if my understanding was correct. So I guess I should have been asking, “is my understanding of these instructions correct?”

Or maybe I should have asked if anyone could have explained it as though they were explaining it to a 5 year old. 🤦🏻‍♂️ lol.

But after re-reading several more times I think I got it.

Anyhoo. So I get off work, all required dash lights are on, fires up no problem.

Get home and immediately turn the truck off, then try to start again. No go. No CEL. Pull the main efi relay. This is what I see.
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So I grab the spare out of the back. And pop it in. No CEL again. I put back the Old one back in and boom. Starts right up. CEL On.

Turn truck off, try again. NO CEL.

Switch the relay to the NEW spare. CEL on and fired up. So I started wiggling the relay around while it’s installed. CEL comes and goes! I think my connections are getting loose. Guess I’ll have to figure out how to get them back into spec or something.

Here’s a look at the new one and part info.
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Will update again with how i get the relays to stop jiggling around when installed.

So before anyone says, “well I guess you didn’t search hard enough of the forums because this is a common problem”

The reason I had posted in the first place was because when I would have the issue starting. When I would plug my jumper up to the battery, the truck would start up like nothing was wrong.
 
I guess it’s not so much that I didn’t understand it, it was more so if my understanding was correct. So I guess I should have been asking, “is my understanding of these instructions correct?”

Or maybe I should have asked if anyone could have explained it as though they were explaining it to a 5 year old. 🤦🏻‍♂️ lol.

But after re-reading several more times I think I got it.

Anyhoo. So I get off work, all required dash lights are on, fires up no problem.

Get home and immediately turn the truck off, then try to start again. No go. No CEL. Pull the main efi relay. This is what I see.


So I grab the spare out of the back. And pop it in. No CEL again. I put back the Old one back in and boom. Starts right up. CEL On.

Turn truck off, try again. NO CEL.

Switch the relay to the NEW spare. CEL on and fired up. So I started wiggling the relay around while it’s installed. CEL comes and goes! I think my connections are getting loose. Guess I’ll have to figure out how to get them back into spec or something.

Here’s a look at the new one and part info.



Will update again with how i get the relays to stop jiggling around when installed.

So before anyone says, “well I guess you didn’t search hard enough of the forums because this is a common problem”

The reason I had posted in the first place was because when I would have the issue starting. When I would plug my jumper up to the battery, the truck would start up like nothing was wrong.
Intermittent issues are the hardest to track down, but it seems pretty obvious that there is a contact issue going on in the relay box. Replacement connectors are available from Toyota part number 82998-12060. They come with about 6" of pigtail that can be spliced into the existing harness.
Alternatively, you could try to slightly tighten the existing female terminals to make better contact, but if the crimps to the terminals are corroded or otherwise compromised, this will not help.
 
Just keep a spare EFI fuse with you at all time. I have 2 spare upgraded plastic ones. The wiring gets hot with the exhaust manifold. I ended up wrapping the entire fuse box with a heat shield and never had a problem since.
 
Intermittent issues are the hardest to track down, but it seems pretty obvious that there is a contact issue going on in the relay box. Replacement connectors are available from Toyota part number 82998-12060. They come with about 6" of pigtail that can be spliced into the existing harness.
Alternatively, you could try to slightly tighten the existing female terminals to make better contact, but if the crimps to the terminals are corroded or otherwise compromised, this will not help.
Thanks Jon. Will try to tighten the terminals. If they break then I’m gonna have to replace them anyways.
 
Just keep a spare EFI fuse with you at all time. I have 2 spare upgraded plastic ones. The wiring gets hot with the exhaust manifold. I ended up wrapping the entire fuse box with a heat shield and never had a problem since.
That’s a good tip. Wrapping the entire fuse box in a heat shield.

I’ve always carried a spare relay with me. Tbh. I’ve read about this issue so many times that I went out and bought a spare relay. It’s just since I had a combination of so many symptoms I was running around chasing too many things at once. Like I said, it was so weird that attaching a jumper to the battery would start the truck.
 
There is also a replacement relay from a Toyota Camry that works well. Toyota part # 28300-16010.
Anyone know of a reliable source for the more robust Camry EFI relay Toyota part# 2830016010? Looks like it's NLA from Toyota and also not available from Amayama nor PartSouq.
 
ok, i have owned my 91 for about 8 yrs now and have gone thru my fair share of no start issues.
1st it is the EFI relay getting hot via the exhaust side of things. I put in the newer style Camry relay. It works for a few months (I wheeled my rig hard regularly and the heat will destroy the plastic relay at a slower rate than the metal style relay.
My 2nd fix would relocate the relay into the interior. You will need to get 4 extended 12g or 14g wiring to complete a new harness for it.
Lastly, i created a heat shield box around the stock relay housing, along with the relocation into the cabin. This fixes the no start issue for me all together. I just completed a 12 day wheeling trip in the Sierra/Fordyce and Rubicon trail in 100 degree heat and this mod holds up very well.

this only applies to no start issue with no check engine light upon start. If you have intermittent no crank, that is a separate issues all together and i can point you to a fix for that as well.

good luck.
ML
 
ok, i have owned my 91 for about 8 yrs now and have gone thru my fair share of no start issues.
1st it is the EFI relay getting hot via the exhaust side of things. I put in the newer style Camry relay. It works for a few months (I wheeled my rig hard regularly and the heat will destroy the plastic relay at a slower rate than the metal style relay.
My 2nd fix would relocate the relay into the interior. You will need to get 4 extended 12g or 14g wiring to complete a new harness for it.
Lastly, i created a heat shield box around the stock relay housing, along with the relocation into the cabin. This fixes the no start issue for me all together. I just completed a 12 day wheeling trip in the Sierra/Fordyce and Rubicon trail in 100 degree heat and this mod holds up very well.

this only applies to no start issue with no check engine light upon start. If you have intermittent no crank, that is a separate issues all together and i can point you to a fix for that as well.

good luck.
ML
Thanks Marco--that's a helpful / sobering explanation. Sounds like the moral of the EFI relay story as it relates to this intermittent no start but always cranks over issue is that the Toyota Camry relay, in and of itself, is only a temporary solution and unfortunately is not the genie in the bottle solution I was hoping for. Sigh. It's time to get down and dirty on the electrical part (wires corroding under the relay box, running thicker 12 gauge wire, etc)--this electrical stuff is like friggin' Greek to me:bang:, but I am determined (with the generous help of all the seasoned Mud gurus out there) to become an expert and get to the bottom of it--the sooner the better.
 
Thanks Marco--that's a helpful / sobering explanation. Sounds like the moral of the EFI relay story as it relates to this intermittent no start but always cranks over issue is that the Toyota Camry relay, in and of itself, is only a temporary solution and unfortunately is not the genie in the bottle solution I was hoping for. Sigh. It's time to get down and dirty on the electrical part (wires corroding under the relay box, running thicker 12 gauge wire, etc)--this electrical stuff is like friggin' Greek to me:bang:, but I am determined (with the generous help of all the seasoned Mud gurus out there) to become an expert and get to the bottom of it--the sooner the better.
I hear ya.
I have also been chasing down a starter issue for a few years as well. Rebuilt my OEM starter a couple times, and finally just put in a ford solenoid to jump 12v to the starter. cranks every time now... let me know how it goes!
 

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