Starter just clicks

[mike1978fj40]

i have a 1978 fj40, was running great, had it sitting for about a month while I worked on the brake booster, went to start I and nothing, got a new battery still nothing but a click from the starter, replaced the starter and still nothing but a click from the starter. Can anyone help me diagnose the problem

 

[B y r o n]

Sounds like the new battery was dead upon arrival. Try putting it on a charger for a day or two.

 

[SugarBear]

clean up the grounds & main connection wiring & make sure the cables are tight on the terminals. I just went through something similar & it was a result of a poor connection

 

[thebigredrocker]

Did you try the screwdriver trick? Touch the solenoid lug and starter lug at the same time. Also, If your big cables are corroded internally that can cause resistance and possible clicking.

 

[4x4veteran]

Check to see if the battery is charged. then it it doesn't start go through all the connections. Look close. They may look good at first inspection but there may be hidden problems.

For an example, One night I was coming from Oklahoma into Arkansas and stopped at the border for gas. Went to take of after fill up and got a click then nothing. I said one night so I mean it was dark...and windy...and colder than kraut.

I check the cables and everything looked good but do go but got nothing. I went over it again and reached down and wiggled the cable to the starter. It came apart in my hand leaving the lug on the solenoid.

The wires had corroded about an inch up in the rubber where it couldn't be seen.

 

[73FJ40]

Of course, transmission in neutral, tire chocked, no malt beverages involved.

First step in this situation (before replacing the starter, ) would be to try a jump start, with jumper cables. Quick indicator of battery capabilities, and/or corrosion between battery terminals and connectors.

Next, bypass the connection from the ignition switch to the starter solenoid by 'shorting' the starter's positive battery cable stud to the male tab connector from the ignition switch. This would rule out corroded wires in the ignition circuit, including the switch, and the associated wires and connectors.

If it still only clicks, move the negative cable from the battery terminal to a good connection on the engine BLOCK. Don't forget, if the ground battery cable is bad, the negative jumper cable has to handle about 100 amps, so don't connect it to a valve cover nut. If you can reach the starter mounting bolt, that's even better.

If it still clicks, try connecting the positive jumper cable to the starter terminal, where the positive battery cable connects.

In ten minutes, you'll have a better idea of what's wrong with your starter setup.

 

[mike1978fj40]

I’ve tried shorting the starter nothing, battery is good, all the lights work, wondering if it’s my ground, I powder coated some parts and two grounds(one from the starter) sit on top on the powder coated parts but it is bolted to the frame

 

[mike1978fj40]

And thank you all for the suggestions and tips

 

[ginmtb]

You need metal to metal contact for the ground. Clean up that spot with some sandpaper. Good grounds are critical!

 

[mike1978fj40]

Problem solved!! It was a bad ground, I removed the powder coated mud guard and bolted the ground from the starter directly to the frame and starter fired right up. I sanded down both side of the powder coating that made contact with the and reassembled everything, tried starting again and click, moved ground over to brake line t-valve and works fine now. Thank you
Next problem, my headlights stopped working one night while driving. I took the switch out, looks good, no blown fuses, turn signals/hazards and brake lights works, just no instrument cluster lights, running lights or headlights

 

[ginmtb]

Good news! Did you physically remove the fuse? Sometimes corrosion forms and you can't see it while the fuse is in place. Also, sometimes just re-seating the fuse helps. My cluster stopped working on my Cross Country Expedition leg and I fiddled with the fuse and next thing you know everything was working fine. Good grounds are critical on these vehicles. Didn't I say that before? lol How does your fuse box look? If you haven't, you might want to take it out and clean up all the metal contacts, including on the backside of it. Use fine sandpaper. Or if it is too far gone you can go to @Racer65 's site and buy a replacement reproduction - Fuse Box and Cover for '78 Land Cruiser FJ40

 

[mike1978fj40]

Fuses are all good, removed and cleaned all points of contact

 

[mike1978fj40]

Everyday seems to be a new issue with electrical, blower fan just stopped working, brake and seatbelt lights not working, thinking a new wire harness is needed any ideas or advice

 

[Solace in Solitude]

Enjoy it, most people aren’t lucky enough to have a 40!!

By “blower fan”,

• do you mean the heater blower? Check the heater fuse and the connections. Check the resistor.
• Do you mean the carb cooling fan? Check the ground on the manifold and all connections. Check the controller below and behind the glove box. The carb cooling fan logic is more complex and works with the emissions computer (under the dash, on the firewall, behind the clutch pedal.
• Do you mean the radiator fan? Is the engine running?

By “brake”, do you mean the brake warning light?

The brake and seatbelt warning lights plug in under the drivers seat, near the center console. Check the connector.

Edit: have you checked the headlights to ensure their connectors are fully seated? Have you tried the high-low beams, to see that neither work?

Edit2: you really don’t want the hassle of trying to build a new harness, or make a generic harness work... unless you absolutely have to.

 

[jbee]

Here’s what fixed my wiring gremlins.

1. Check your harness grounds. Might be a thick white wire with a light blue stripe. Clean the ends and body contacts and check continuity on the wire.

2. Clean all the fuse holders to shiny copper carefully with a dremel or sand paper. Replace ALL the fuses with known new ones.

3. Remove all head and tail and side marker lights one at a time and clean all contacts. The body connections with the star washers are important.

I’ve had several FJ40s, all the ones that I thought had bad harnesses simply had lots of bad connections. Wear, age, humidity, and vibration makes them loose.

Don’t be surprised when you clean everything up if your seatbelt warning light and maybe even the buzzer start working. Oh and the carb cooling fan. The 78 is like a spaceship compared to my 72.

Check Coolerman’s posts and his website.

 

[middlecalf]

Powder coating is great but it’s also a good enough insulator that impacts grounds. You fixed one issue because of pc, I’d focus on that for all ground connections. And for things that are grounded to body panels you’ll need to have at least one good metal to metal contact between panels and eventually frame - an additional ground wire from panel to frame never hurts. I use dielectric grease on my fuse ends.

Given that diatribe, I chase electrical issues all the time with my old rigs. Rust/corrosion is also a good enough insulator. I haven’t invented the perfect rust inhibitor yet lol. GL. Paul

 

[Nader]

I got similar good advice when I had electrical issues the first week I owned my project. In fact, I had the identical starter issue you had, due to a bad ground! It was maddening.

One of the best things I did, besides cleaning all the chassis grounds, was to pull all the fuses from the block, and run a dremel wire wheel across all the contacts. Done with the battery disconnected, of course. Then I dabbed a little DeOxit on the contacts before replacing the fuses. It fixed multiple electrical issues, all at once!

 

[mike1978fj40]

Enjoy it, most people aren’t lucky enough to have a 40!!

By “blower fan”,

• do you mean the heater blower? Check the heater fuse and the connections. Check the resistor.
• Do you mean the carb cooling fan? Check the ground on the manifold and all connections. Check the controller below and behind the glove box. The carb cooling fan logic is more complex and works with the emissions computer (under the dash, on the firewall, behind the clutch pedal.
• Do you mean the radiator fan? Is the engine running?

By “brake”, do you mean the brake warning light?

The brake and seatbelt warning lights plug in under the drivers seat, near the center console. Check the connector.

Edit: have you checked the headlights to ensure their connectors are fully seated? Have you tried the high-low beams, to see that neither work?

Edit2: you really don’t want the hassle of trying to build a new harness, or make a generic harness work... unless you absolutely have to.

The heater blower fan, and the fasten seatbelt and brake warning light to the right of the steering wheel, the both went out at the same time. I cehcked all connections which are good, fuses good. The carb cooler is not working the previous owner cut one of my he wires that goes across the fire wall but I have no idea what it was connected to.