Starting problem. Ignition switch or starter contacters? (1 Viewer)

[BadgerManBEN]

I have been having an intermittent starting problem. 9 out of 10 times I have no trouble starting at all. That 10th time is usually when I am not home and my wife needs to get somewhere. I took it into a shop and described what was happening and they said ignition switch. I took it into the stealership and they said starter contacters. I researched a few threads and can see how it could be either one.

Here is the description of the problem. It started several months ago when on occasion it wouldn't start but if you turned the steering wheel, no problem, started right up. Eventually that trick stopped working and it just wouldn't start until the fourth or fifth try. Now, if it decides not to start, it has taken up to 10 minutes before it starts. When it doesn't start it goes like this. One click and a hum. Sometimes it will start to turn and just before it turns over it suddenly stops like I stopped turning the key.

I suspect that I am not making a clean contact either with the ignition switch or the contacters. I think, in the beginning, I was getting power to the starter but not enough power to turn the starter. When I would turn the steering wheel it would relieve some resistance on the belt that was in the power steering system and I would then have enough power to then turn the starter.

So, if it is up stream from the starter I think I am going to try this trick I found in the thread below.

https://forum.ih8mud.com/80-series-tech/211786-starter-ignition-circuit-thought.html

I think I can determine this by getting ahold of a volt meter (I will borrow one tomorrow) and seeing what kind of power is being drawn at the starter terminal.

My question. Am I heading in the right direction? If so what kind of readings should I see with the volt meter at the starter? 12 volts right? If I see less it is up stream from the starter? If I see 12 volts it's in the starter? Do I need to worry about my amps in this case?

I don't have a FSM yet. It looks like I really need to get one. Anyone know where I can get one for less than $100?

 

[Cruiserdrew]

I will bet you a 6 pack of Cruiserdan's favorite beer it is the starter contacts.

I would stop doing diagnostics and just replace the contacts and the plunger. It is an easy job and well documented here.

If, and only if, you still have the problem afterwards, then start trouble shooting.

Starter contacts are a wear item in the Denso design. It is normal and expected for them to need replacement every 80k miles or so.

In the 6 years I have been on IH8MUD I have heard of 347 contact failures and 1 ignition switch failure. It's worth playing the odds here.

 

[OGBeno]

In the 6 years I have been on IH8MUD I have heard of 347 contact failures and 1 ignition switch failure. It's worth playing the odds here.

Andy, are you sure it was 367? I could have sworn the number was closer to say, the number of muffler bearing failures--close to almost 600!!





To the OP: Agree with Andy. The ignition switch was a popular failure item with the FJ60/62. Not the 80 series.

 

[lacruiser]

There's tons of threads about this issue. Definitely replace the starter contacts, but you should also measure voltage at the starter solenoid signal wire (the wire from the ign switch that clips onto the solenoid). If you're getting close to 12v, it's most likely your contacts. If you're getting way less than 12v, maybe around 10 or so, it's in the ign switch and/or wiring.

However, another possibility is that any of the battery cables could be dirty and/or loose. Check both pos and neg cables, at both ends. Make sure they are clean and tight and free of corrosion. The fact that the starter started to turn, then quit, leads me to think you may have a dirty connection somewhere. If the starter contacts were engaged, and there was enough juice to kick the starter, it should crank. However, if one of the connections in the circuit is weak, then once the starter starts to draw heavy current, the voltage drops significantly, and the starter may dis-engage.

 

[FrankTorres]

Hi Andrew add another ignition switch failure to your count.

After replacing my starter contacts, which were very much worn out, everything was good. Until over the coarse of a year the intermittent start was back. Condition worsened, 1 out of 10 no starts until it was 50%, then I added a relay to the circuit all was good for about 6 months, until the ignition switch did not work at all while on vacation in New Mexico this summer. 0 volts from the start position.

Quick and easy fix for me, since our Cruisers have a set of UP and DOWN buttons for the antenna on the dash, was to pull the antenna motor connection and add a 10" long wire from the power down switch on the connector to activate the starter relay. My 14 year old daughter was with me and she helped me find the circuit on the connector.

She thought it was the coolest thing to have the Cruiser with push button start.
So for us, this is the way were having it...

 

[jvazquez53]

Bet is the starter contacts. Carry a pick or axe handle, every time the starter don't want to turn, tap it with the handle, works for me, at least until I get another starter,

 

[BadgerManBEN]

The connections to the battery are super clean with no corrosion. I just bought this rig in July and the previous owner appears to have taken great care. The terminals have the red goop on them. I was also thinking a loose or corroded connection but I have not seen anything. I did clean up the ground after looking very closely and did see a little bit of corrosion. That was yesterday and it started great all day today.

 

[tblume]

... power down switch on the connector to activate the starter relay. My 14 year old daughter was with me and she helped me find the circuit on the connector.

She thought it was the coolest thing to have the Cruiser with push button start.
So for us, this is the way were having it...

I'm with your daughter on this one; that is cool., plus you got to have a cool bonding moment around 'cruisers; my boys (4 & 2) "help" me when I'm under mine and get the biggest charge out of crawling under the thing; the older one points to things and explains to his little brother what they are doing, classic.

(never when the wheels are off and always with park and E-brake minimum)