Scary Mystery or Little Known Quirk?

[essco1503]

Ok folks
So, woke up this morning to take the dogs out and saw this...
I am freaked the hell out.
I live alone and NOBODY but me has the keys to this truck. I got the truck back the other day after it being on the mainland for a while. I parked it there on my property because it is flat and I havent hooked up the park brake yet. I also got some wheel chocks and left it in reverse just to be safe. I am on a hill and flat spots are at a premium here.
Anyway, walk out this morning to see this. Im terrified. But, have there been accounts of BJ42s randomly glitching and running the starters for a period of time for no reason in the middle of the night?
Am I going insane? I have cameras but need to wait to get the security guy to go into the playback
Was I sleepwalking maybe? WTF is going on?

 

[middlecalf]

There was a guy I think in Australia who posted within the last year about his BJ starting up during a rain storm and it ended up across his street stopped by the neighbors treeline. I’ll see if I can find the post.

on edit: I thought I posted to this post or at least liked it but I can’t find it. The OP was under the assumption that moisture from the rain shorted something on the inside fender that has to do with the starting/running of the BJ’s motor.

 

[WildernessRimFab]

Thats nuts. Definitely scary and not a "quirk".
I assume that your starter engaged and the wheels spun slowly until the battery drained enough that the started disengaged?
Check your battery and starter, one or both of them may be smoked.

 

[essco1503]

Thats nuts. Definitely scary and not a "quirk".
I assume that your starter engaged and the wheels spun slowly until the battery drained enough that the started disengaged?
Check your battery and starter, one or both of them may be smoked.

But the truck started right up this morning no issues? I have security cams but they dont show quite enough On minute you see truck there normal position at like 1130pm, next a cat set off the camera at 155am and you can see the truck is in a different position

 

[essco1503]

There was a guy I think in Australia who posted within the last year about his BJ starting up during a rain storm and it ended up across his street stopped by the neighbors treeline. I’ll see if I can find the post.

Oh man anything you can do that will have me not needing to sleep with a teddy bear, a bible and a shotgun tonight will be appreciated

 

[45Dougal]

The only thing stopping your truck from running is when you pull the kill knob and it momentarily cuts the fuel.
Unlike in a petrol (gas) truck where you need electric from the ignition switch to make it fire.
If you leave it in gear and it rolls in that direction then it will start right up. No key needed.
Most likely either wasn't well chocked, or someone/ something removed them.
Lucky the wall was there to stop it.

Add a few clothes pegs onto your kill knob shaft to hold it in the stopped position

 

[45Dougal]

Maybe the chocks had a ball of wool tied on them and the cat pulled them out

 

[peesalot]

I'd be stoked if my 40 could drive itself, a bit of training and your golden

 

[Living in the Past]

Would check the wiring around the starter. Diesel or petrol wire from the battery to the solenoid get to the wire from the ignition switch wire the starter will run. Would consider a heavy blade switch between the battery and starter solenoid. With that open no way the starter would run. But at the same time the wire from ignition switch would hopefully blow a fuse before melting if there is a short in that wire and the solenoid.

 

[essco1503]

Just an update for everyone. So, the truck is running COMPLETELY FINE. I went and added fuel to see if it had run for longer and it didnt. It must have only been running for a few seconds to maybe a minute. there are no burnt wires. Nothing is grounding out. I am now though chocking the wheels front and back and leaving in neutral. I also retrained my camera on the trucks parked there.
The story I am telling myself is that a curios deer got a bit too close to it, rubbed up against it to give him or herself a satisfying scratch and then it was just enough to start it. The motor, fuel pump and all, is brand new so my compression is excellent. Doesnt even burn oil yet lol. So that is all I can come up with as deer are regularly enjoying my garden salads.

 

[FJ404345]

Can you please show the security videos

There were earlier rumours
that the oldest serie of the Land Cruiser (40 series) were prone to Cruiser Lean and Cruiser Body Rust.
We now have the 1st documented case showing one of the signs of LCD-40 , Land Cruiser-Dementia (Med.term: Dementia40)

 

[USOffRoad]

I'd call a priest and have it blessed with holy oil...30wt preferably.

 

[peesalot]

Maybe it was cold and was digging in for the night.

 

[45Dougal]

Just an update for everyone. So, the truck is running COMPLETELY FINE. I went and added fuel to see if it had run for longer and it didnt. It must have only been running for a few seconds to maybe a minute. there are no burnt wires. Nothing is grounding out. I am now though chocking the wheels front and back and leaving in neutral. I also retrained my camera on the trucks parked there.
The story I am telling myself is that a curios deer got a bit too close to it, rubbed up against it to give him or herself a satisfying scratch and then it was just enough to start it. The motor, fuel pump and all, is brand new so my compression is excellent. Doesnt even burn oil yet lol. So that is all I can come up with as deer are regularly enjoying my garden salads.

I assumed that you have a pull knob kill switch rather than an EDIC... if the latter then it might need a closer look.
Didn't adopt the clothes pegs then?
Photo is a mini, but the implementation is the same.

 

[essco1503]

I assumed that you have a pull knob kill switch rather than an EDIC... if the latter then it might need a closer look.
Didn't adopt the clothes pegs then?
Photo is a mini, but the implementation is the same.

View attachment 3440030

I dont have any kill switch like that. Mine is an 82 BJ42. there is a missing knob on the dash though. Wonder if this is what it is?

 

[45Dougal]

I dont have any kill switch like that. Mine is an 82 BJ42. there is a missing knob on the dash though. Wonder if this is what it is?

Hmm. That's weird then because your EDIC should inhibit the engine when the key is off.
Presumably it switches off OK with the key?
Maybe check that the edic is functioning correctly and the key switch also.

The missing knob is a manual kill switch which sends a signal to the edic as I understand... I'll check the manual

 

[essco1503]

Hmm. That's weird then because your EDIC should inhibit the engine when the key is off.
Presumably it switches off OK with the key?
Maybe check that the edic is functioning correctly and the key switch also.

The missing knob is a manual kill switch which sends a signal to the edic as I understand... I'll check the manual

I mean, when i turn the key to the off position, the engine runs for a few seconds then shuts down. Sometimes a bit longer than a few seconds but it always shuts off. I have noticed though that my fuel gauge is all of a sudden not working. So maybe something behind the dash is not right?

 

[45Dougal]

I cant immediately see a link between the two but it's possible.

Id start by checking the state of the connections at the edic relay and motor. Unplug them, clean the connections and reconnect.
If you unplug the edic, you shouldn't be able to start it. Worth checking.

What happens if you purposefully bump start it with the key switched off?

 

[essco1503]

I cant immediately see a link between the two but it's possible.

Id start by checking the state of the connections at the edic relay and motor. Unplug them, clean the connections and reconnect.
If you unplug the edic, you shouldn't be able to start it. Worth checking.

What happens if you purposefully bump start it with the key switched off?

Havent tried that but Im going to. its parked at top of a hill so was curious to just give it a push without the key in gear.

 

[45Dougal]

Havent tried that but Im going to. its parked at top of a hill so was curious to just give it a push without the key in gear.

Yea, whilst you're inside it this time.
Possible that your EDIC motor or relay is a bit tired or badly adjusted.
Check out the page in your manual about testing and setting it correctly, should look something like this...