No Start help please.

[outlate]

***Anyone know why i can upload a video?***

Hi All,
I’m having issues with my 2003 LC.
I try to start it and it does the click but no start. At first I thought it was the battery because I was able to get it to start by jumping it with my jump box.
So I got a new battery. Same problem.
I scoured the threads about the most common No Start issue, but as you will see in my video, the security light does go away when I insert the key.
I thoroughly cleaned, greased, and tightened the battery terminal area and the cable connections to ensure there was good contact.
I thought maybe there was a battery drain somewhere, so I tried the following first thing in the morning.
1) Before trying to start the truck, I tested the battery voltage and it read 12.47v
2) I then tried starting the truck three times, with no luck.
3) I pulled the AMR2 fuse and then reinserted it, hoping to reset the system (this worked in the past). Then tried starting the truck…no luck.
4) I then connected the jump box and tried to start it. It started.
When it started, I let it run for about 20mins.
Turned it off and then tested the batt voltage again.
It was at 12.68v
I then tried to start it.
First two key turns, no luck.
On the third turn, it reluctantly started.

In the twenty years I’ve had this baby, it’s never started like this. Always an easy turn and the auto start takes over.

I also tried a new starter relay (AutoZone ) with no difference. Then tested the original one I had in and it tested good, so I put it back in.

I’m in SoCal, so it’s unlikely that the fuse box got wet…but I looked at it (with my untrained eyes), to see if it looked like the was corrosion and didn’t see any.

Note: Starter was replaced 4yrs ago with a new reman Denso when I had the timing belt done.

Any ideas?

Thanks in advance.

 

[medtro]

Check for cracks in fusible link.

 

[whitec13]

Stupid advice, but worked for me; put it in neutral and try to start it. Any time mine wouldn’t start, it would start in neutral first try. Never figured it out.

 

[medtro]

Stupid advice, but worked for me; put it in neutral and try to start it. Any time mine wouldn’t start, it would start in neutral first try. Never figured it out.

That means your neutral start switch is bad.

 

[whitec13]

That means your neutral start switch is bad.

Awesome, thanks! But, no longer own it so

 

[41togo]

I had a similar issue with my 02 LC at 130k. Intermittent starting no clicks, replaced battery thought it was good for month then no start again. I did not jump start as it was a new battery so I had it tow to the shop. May be from the disturbances and vibrations from the tow she then started right away, they kept it for a week and finally found voltage drops occasionally in the fuse box. Replaced with new fuse box and fixed it. The fuse box contacts looks fine but appears fuse box contact corrosion is not uncommon. Mine LC from the east coast. Good luck !

 

[ScotyDosentKnow]

Clean ALL of the grounds. I had a car that was having starting issues even with a new battery and a friend gave me that advice. I thought he was crazy but after taking off and cleaning all grounds in the engine bay the car started better than ever every time.

 

[outlate]

Stupid advice, but worked for me; put it in neutral and try to start it. Any time mine wouldn’t start, it would start in neutral first try. Never figured it out.

Nope, when it doesn’t start, it doesn’t start in neutral either.

Check for cracks in fusible link.

Can you walk me through how to do that?

Since my last post I brought it to my local mechanic and it started every time for him over the three days it was at his shop. It started almost every time for me, until a few days ago, when it wouldn’t initially start on a cold morning. It then started after 20mins of sitting with her…pulling the AMR fuse and putting my jumper box on her (thinking it might warm her up a bit). She sat for 3 days while I left town. When I came back, same “no initial start, then start…as the cold morning”. Drove her 2 straight hours back home. Next morning started with hesitation. Now, this morning, will not start.

 

[41togo]

My situation was similar making the Land Cruiser unreliable and scary to drive as she starts 90 % of the time, imagine to be stuck in middle of nowhere, I stopped driving her and she was grounded as it was critical to get to the root cause. Finally the shop found the issue and the fuse box was found to be corroded inside resulting in the occasional no start situation. This video explains a lot better after disassembling the fuse box. As it turned out fuse box replacement is not uncommon on LC100. Good luck !

 

[outlate]

Clean ALL of the grounds. I had a car that was having starting issues even with a new battery and a friend gave me that advice. I thought he was crazy but after taking off and cleaning all grounds in the engine bay the car started better than ever every time.

How do I find all the grounds? And can you give me some guidance on what cleaning them entails? I don’t want to make any assumptions. Thanks.

 

[Qmulus]

Clean ALL of the big battery cable connections at both ends if you can get to them, and the large fuses at the positive terminal. I personally disassemble all the connections, clean ALL the contacts with an appropriately sized wire brush (I use a brass brush on a Dremel when I can), then clean with contact cleaner and reassemble. Cleaning the alternator connections is important too. This is super important on any older vehicle to keep them reliable. I can't believe how crust people let battery connections get, then wonder why their cars don't start. There are companies that sell cable replacement kits, but they are really overkill in 90+% of the time. I cleaned up everything on my '01 with 350k miles, and I have no voltage or starting issues. I did rebuild the fuse box on mine the day that I got it as it had the normal overheating of the contacts for the EFI fuse with the resulting crank, no start issue.

If you really want to properly troubleshoot, you do a voltage drop test. I am sure there are some good YouTube videos on how properly test the electrical system by doing voltage drops tests across the various connections to isolate the problem. For me, I just clean up everything, as after 25 years, you are going to have some corrosion on the contacts as that is usually the issue. I don't normally pull out the meter until I have inspected to make sure that the connections are clean and tight first.

 

[outlate]

Clean ALL of the big battery cable connections at both ends if you can get to them, and the large fuses at the positive terminal. I personally disassemble all the connections, clean ALL the contacts with an appropriately sized wire brush (I use a brass brush on a Dremel when I can), then clean with contact cleaner and reassemble. Cleaning the alternator connections is important too. This is super important on any older vehicle to keep them reliable. I can't believe how crust people let battery connections get, then wonder why their cars don't start. There are companies that sell cable replacement kits, but they are really overkill in 90+% of the time. I cleaned up everything on my '01 with 350k miles, and I have no voltage or starting issues. I did rebuild the fuse box on mine the day that I got it as it had the normal overheating of the contacts for the EFI fuse with the resulting crank, no start issue.

If you really want to properly troubleshoot, you do a voltage drop test. I am sure there are some good YouTube videos on how properly test the electrical system by doing voltage drops tests across the various connections to isolate the problem. For me, I just clean up everything, as after 25 years, you are going to have some corrosion on the contacts as that is usually the issue. I don't normally pull out the meter until I have inspected to make sure that the connections are clean and tight first.

Thank you. I will get on that today.
I found this diagram with ground points in a manual for the 2004 LC. Mine is an 03 LC, but I think they’re pretty similar. Was planning on starting on the points on here, but will also do as you’ve instructed above and hit the fuses on the positive side too. The battery is brand new. When I swapped it, I made sure to clean the terminals on the battery and the connection cables thoroughly. But I did not touch the fuse.
I’ll report back. Thank you again.

 

[outlate]

Dup

 

[ScotyDosentKnow]

How do I find all the grounds? And can you give me some guidance on what cleaning them entails? I don’t want to make any assumptions. Thanks.

The picture you posted appears to show at least some of the grounds (I've never looked for them on my LC). Just anywhere that there is a cable coming from the engine etc. that is bolted to the chassis unbolt it and clean the bolt, the wire end and the spot where it bolts to the chassis with a wire brush or something similar. You want a nice, clean, corrosion free attachment to bare metal. Clean where it bolts to the motor/transmission etc. as well.

 

[outlate]

The picture you posted appears to show at least some of the grounds (I've never looked for them on my LC). Just anywhere that there is a cable coming from the engine etc. that is bolted to the chassis unbolt it and clean the bolt, the wire end and the spot where it bolts to the chassis with a wire brush or something similar. You want a nice, clean, corrosion free attachment to bare metal. Clean where it bolts to the motor/transmission etc. as well.

I cleaned all the grounds on chassis. No improvement.

 

[41togo]

When you turn the key and experience the no crank and no start condition. Is there an engine check light ? In other words the check engine light always on until the engine is running, in your case was the engine check light there?

 

[outlate]

Haven't been able to get the truck to turn over in 5 days now.

Anyone have any other ideas?

 

[outlate]

When you turn the key and experience the no crank and no start condition. Is there an engine check light ? In other words the check engine light always on until the engine is running, in your case was the engine check light there?

Yes, the check engine light is always there.
But…it’s also always there because I have a cat issue. It’s been on for years .

Here’s a clip of what it’s doing.

 

[Trunk Monkey]

I would read codes to make sure nothing new has cropped up and then maybe look at replacing the starter.

 

[outlate]

I would read codes to make sure nothing new has cropped up and then maybe look at replacing the starter.

This starter was put in 22k miles ago. Could it really die that quickly? My first one lasted 339k. We only changed it because we were doing the TC