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The starter trigger relay described above is still in place, no reason to take it out. Yes, it was a tight and fiddly job. Replacement starter works perfectly, no more clicking and re-clicking.
While I had the starter out, I also pulled out the fuel filter because I hadn't ever touched it or replaced it. That fuel filter is in a horrible spot. With the starter out of the way, a bit easier to get the fuel filter, but still way more painful than a fuel filter should be. So, working with the rubber lines already there, I repositioned the fuel filter to the fender. Next time it will be a 10 minute easy job. The fuel filter I took out had lasted some 12+ years, and was still working. Unlikely it will ever need touching again. Had I put the fuel filter back under the intake manifold, Murphy's law says I would need to replace it again in a few months.
Many people relocate the fuel filter like you did.
When these Trucks were new, Toyota considered these fuel filters to be a "lifetime" part, meaning they were not concerned about accessibility when they were choosing a location for the filter.
Toyota must not expected us to keep on driving our old trucks for many decades and hundreds of thousands of miles, so we do need to replace them on occasion.
I had the same issue for weeks. I installed a starter relay similar to the one above, no perm fix. I finally peeled the heat shrink back on the main cable going to the starter(big one!) And i found that the wire was corroded almost no sire left. I replaced the main cable going to the starter, fixed! Make sure to cut back the factory heat shrink on the terminal lug and look for corrosion. Once i found the issue it was a simple fix to an annoying problem!
Crunchy Corroded Cables... first thing to check for.
In our 25yr (+) old trucks, everything that can corrode is in the process of - or has already - corroded. So I agree, those battery cables take on a splash (or million) of road-salt and water, and the cable sheathing makes sure that splash never dries out. Add a couple decades, and when you bend that cable it feels like a string of popcorn. Some time ago I had replaced battery and ground cables with 2/0 welding cable, and after crimping then soldering the lugs on slid the whole works inside a 1/2" heater hose and injected permatex black inside the ends to seal the heater hose over the sleeve of the lug. Yes, overkill on top of overkill on top of overkill. But a cable made up that way will never give me or anyone else trouble. Unless they have to bend it at 40 below... :]
I have read through this thread and am having a similar issue (89 3.0 4Runner).
Have replaced:
*Battery
*Alternator
*Relay (In cab)
*Negative Ground
I am getting a hard click from relay under hood on passenger finder wall and lights in cab but no turn over UNLESS jumped from other vehicle. If jumped it starts strong. Will be buying new volt meter tomorrow, last one broke.
I have read through this thread and am having a similar issue (89 3.0 4Runner).
Have replaced:
*Battery
*Alternator
*Relay (In cab)
*Negative Ground
I am getting a hard click from relay under hood on passenger finder wall and lights in cab but no turn over UNLESS jumped from other vehicle. If jumped it starts strong. Will be buying new volt meter tomorrow, last one broke.
Please show us what exactly and where you hear, feel clicks so we can help from many miles away.
If it "starts strong" when jumped from another vehicle, then your battery is no good! There is a slim chance that your battery connections are not making good contact with the installed battery, then the jumper cables being connected to the outer side of battery connections makes it start. Remove battery connections, make sure all is clean. Try to start it, if it starts then prob solved. If it does not start, connect jumper cables from another vehicle.... if it starts now, then your battery is bad.
That's a pretty harsh and sudden diagnosis based on very little evidence sir! (Old yeller got a thorn in his paw, time to go behind the barn buddy!)
The poster reports it's a new battery which is quite possible just low on charge due to multiple attempts to start the engine. Condemning it without even checking it's resting state voltage much less it's current output ability is negligence. (Hint take it back where you bought it to have it warrantied, they don't want to eat that cost and won't be trying to sell you a new battery like thier competition across the street will be. They will insure it has a proper charge and is load tested, they will probably even run a recovery cycle on it.)
Checking for good contact to the battery terminals is only one part in the chain. What about the cable to terminal end, if it's not a cast lead end they are certainly suspect in most cases they can be cleaned up and put back into service. What about the cable, is it frayed or untwisted, maybe it needs replaced? How about the power to the junction/fuse box and its accompanying wire, if you have a failing FL it needs replacement, there are also two ring terminals that can be cleaned and replaced.
Let's ignore all that and talk about current vs voltage and how a dirty ignition switch contact behaves.. Say I have the original system where the ignition switch provides power (current+voltage=power) to the starter solenoid. We all know this can be an issue. The high current arcing fouls the contacts and they become more resistant. Resistance across two points causes a reduction of current to flow, this reduced current flow is measurable as a drop in voltage. This results in the solenoid not activating.
Now say I take my ~600 CCA battery and add your ~=600 CCA battery in parallel (jump start) now I have 1200 amps before the voltage drops beyond usable. This usable voltage overcomes the dirty ignition switch.
You can show this experiment quite simply with your headlights. Turn the headlights on, and measure the voltage across the battery terminals. Monitor the voltage at the terminals as you turn the key to start. (You can actually see it in the headlights going dim)
You can repeat this with a second battery in parallel, and see the voltage will not drop as much.
... This is maybe a bit rambling..
Bottom line there are tests to-do before determining it's a bad battery and cleaning up connections aren't even part of them but something you should just do to ensure the test results are accurate.
LOL, a lil touchy i see. Based on the limited input, and the fact the poster said he had read through this whole thread, i figure he has checked everything else. Most possibilities were covered earlier in the thread. Either way, just a suggestion, like all other input on a forum. "New" batteries can very well be defective, or too low CCAs. If it ends up being the new battery, it can be replaced for free(also load tested for free to confirm it is bad).
So I have a 86 Toyota pickup with an automatic and I believe my starter relay is either built into the starter or maybe kick panel but it’s not on my passenger side fender.
with that being said am I still able to run a new relay like mentioned above to bypass it all ?
Autos do not have starter relay.
Piggybacked on starter motor is the starter solenoid.
Pls see my post search "starter relay rewire or retrofit" or "clicknocrank" for solution.
Originally Posted by 86dolphino
So I have a 86 Toyota pickup with an automatic and I believe my starter relay is either built into the starter or maybe kick panel but it’s not on my passenger side fender.
with that being said am I still able to run a new relay like mentioned above to bypass it all ?
Glad to hear that, and welcome to the forum!
THanks for the update.
89/90 are transition years and schematics are mixed up, so mind sharing picture of your starter relay? Green relay/socket?
Did you add a relay closer to battery and starter to shorten the path?
Originally Posted by BamaToy1990
New on here
Had same problem on 90 4x4 pickup manual trans had to alter the starter relay circuit as explained by RAD4Runner works great.
My starter relay is in cab compartment above fuse panel.
Glad to hear that, and welcome to the forum!
THanks for the update.
89/90 are transition years and schematics are mixed up, so mind sharing picture of your starter relay? Green relay/socket?
Did you add a relay closer to battery and starter to shorten the path?
Already put everything together so pictures not very good. I left relay in factory location, used about 8’ of 10ga wire with fuse and kill switch…
Last edited by BamaToy1990; 06-20-2022 at 01:09 PM.
Doubt it's the ignition switch. Before you do all that bypass work that seems to work well, open your relay and give it a good cleaning with electronic contract cleaner. It's easy to access. There is a Youtube video on it. Then sand both internal contacts with fine sand paper to knock off any pitting and uneveness. Spray both external connectors and lightly wire brush/sandpaper the pins to get rid of oxidation.
Not saying this is your issue, but it's an easy easy way to eliminate one potential cause at little cost. Now mine starts 1st time. It's been 2 weeks and not one no crank issue.
I had an intermittent no crank issue for past 2 years. When it would not crank, the only way to start it was to give a couple of left foot pushes of the truck backwards while sitting in the driver's seat and pop the clutch, but with the ignition off. I always though there was a dead spot on the fly wheel. The shaking from popping the clutch must have jarred something free. That method never failed, but it took more push over time.
I've had the same issue with all 3,
4 runners we've owned.
I got a push button starter for a John Deere tractor. Hooked one line to the starter the other (fused) line straight to the battery.
Turn on the ignition, hit the starter button and it spins like a top every time.
i really like this mod also because it serves as a theft deterrent. 9 times out of 10 if you try to start out with the ignition switch... it just clicks. I've sorta hid the push button in our 4runners , not that most people would have a clue what it is anyway.
Last edited by 87-4runner; 06-22-2022 at 02:29 PM.
03-11-2016, 03:03 PM
