no christmas tree lights, no start (1 Viewer)

[brian]

wifes 97 is playing games. started fine for me this morning, shes tries to start and nothing.
key in and in on position cel light on, no others. turned to start position, other lights come on, but no starter activity. fuses all look good.
if the key is turned on and off enough times every so often it will start normally and run fine. a few times i turned the key to start position and held it there, and after a few seconds of nothingness, it started.
it does have the rs3000 in it, and i have been reading up on that.

 

[jonheld]

key in and in on position cel light on, no others.

This is wrong.
You should have CEL and the CHARGE lamp above the volt meter and the ABS lamp should come on for 2 seconds.
If no CHARGE lamp, check the fusible links.
If fusible links good, then when NO START, check for +12 on the 7.5 amp IGN fuse. If no +12 then ignition switch faulty.

 

[brian]

yes i was mistaken on the light arrangement, was basing it off the 94, which lights them all before a start.

 

[jonheld]

yes i was mistaken on the light arrangement, was basing it off the 94, which lights them all before a start.

What does this statement mean? What lights are illuminated with the key in the ON position on the truck in question?

 

[brian]

cel and charge

 

[Michael Hanson]

Hi, How old is your starter? Have you tested it? Mike

 

[jonheld]

For some reason, I read this as a crank-no start as opposed to a no crank. I guess I got hung up on the dash lights. Sorry about that.

No crank could be the alarm, or the starter, or starter logic. Not much else effects the starter circuit.

 

[RobE30]

I'm having a similar issue with my 94, no alarm system anymore. The moment of nothingness when the key is held in the start position is very familiar to me. Sometimes a quick tap on the starter and life is good, other times (like this morning), tapping the starter yielded no results. I was about to give up on it and take a sick day from work and decided to hit the key one more time and it started with no issue. It's incredibly frustrating when your d/d requires crawling around on the ground or from the top to get it to work. Yes, I know I should get a new starter to see if that takes care of the problem

 

[jonheld]

The starter logic path is as follows: Battery +, fusible link AM1, fuse AM1, ignition switch, neutral start switch, starter.
The load side of the starter is a direct connection to the battery positive terminal.

Intermittent crank has been discussed many times before. The starter contacts and solenoid plunger for the OEM Denso units are available from Toyota or as a kit from Wits End if you wish to rebuild the most common failure areas.
Refurbished Denso starters are available from Toyota, Wits End, and many other parts suppliers.

 

[brian]

I get no click...just a few more idiot lights.

 

[jonheld]

I get no click...just a few more idiot lights.

Then I would check the logic path from the starter and work back towards the battery.
Are you getting a good +12 at the small (push on) terminal on the starter? Is it making good contact with the starter?
If +12, then solenoid plunger is not moving freely in the bore. Old grease turning into glue or poop in the bore.

Try cranking with the shift lever in neutral as opposed to park. NSS issue.
The RS3000 alarm is in play here as well, so there's that bit of fluff.

In any case, the starter circuit is straight forward. No interaction with any other systems.

 

[desmocruiser]

Starter would be where I started to look, doesn't sound like it is fully engaging.

I am really starting to think it should be closer to the top of my preventive maintenance routine.

For less than $100 bucks you should be able to change contacts, plunger, and fusible link at the battery.

 

[brian]

had it started first thing this morning before i left for work, dark and cold, it fired right up.
she tried about an hour, less cold and sunny, nothing.
going to try and get it up to garage in the morning where i can warm and dry, and start poking around.

have also tried the starting in neutral thing as well.
most likely going to remove the rs3000 tomorrow, the key fobs have been dead since before i bought the thing 6 years ago.

 

[RobE30]

My truck didn't want to crank over again this morning (10 degrees, I don't blame it). Popped the hood and checked battery terminals. Wiggled the positive, nice and tight, negative was loose. Tried to tighten it but seems to be at the end of it's adjust-ability. I'll either need to install a new terminal or figure a way to get more adjustment out of it. Regardless, once I turned it a bit, the truck fired right up no issue. Think I found the first (hopefully only) issue with mine.

 

[brian]

Pretty sure mine is the starter.
Got a handful of nothing first thing this morning. A few taps on the starter and it fired up.
Have been able to predictability repeat it...hardly scientific but at least a first step to look at.

 

[desmocruiser]

Yeah that is the best test or at least it is for a while and then it eventually stops completely! Sounds as you are on a simple fix, good to hear!

But thinking about staters always give a good laugh when I tried to help a less mechanically inclined friend who called and asked for help when stranded at a convenient store in some sort of 90's Chevy Cavalier. I told him to tap on the starter and explained it was the round object on the side of the engine with something metal, the tire iron etc. He called back and said nothing was working, he had even borrowed a hammer to be able to reach it.

I went down to give him a ride and he showed me what he was trying to tap, he pointed to the windshield wiper motor that was now barely attached to the firewall and had about a half dozen round marks from the hammer head where he wacked it so much, we tapped the actual starter a couple of times and it started up!

 

[brian]

got the starter out this morning, and tried opening the the solenoid to look at the brushes, it pretty much told me were to go and gave explicate instructions on how to go about getting there...the joke is going to be on the guy opening the box on the core return.
the little phillips fasteners on the cover required the use of an impact driver, with in two smacks the white metal housing crumbled. the plunger contact surface is heavily worn, along with one of the other contacts. while the other studs contact barely shows any wear.

 

[RobE30]

Where'd ya get a starter?

 

[brian]

autozone advanced one of those two, expedited denso reman.

 

[brian]

finally got around to get the starter in it, and it was indeed the issue....at least its only one hard to reach fastener.