starting issues

I have looked around and not found exactly the answer I was looking for. I have a 99 with the 3.4 v6. I replace the start last year and the battery last month. It was working fine until this week. Now I can turn the key and nothing. I do have power to all the electronics. If i keep trying it will catch and turn right over with now issues. I have tried it with the clutch all the way in and the clutch bypass button also. Once it is started it runs and operates with no issues. I have found a small oil leak from my head gasket that looks to be dripping on the starter. Would the oil cause the starter to miss fire or would it be something else?

 

My '04 was just doing something similar. I would turn the key and it wouldn't turn over, radio and lights would still work fine though. I was able to drive fine after it finally would start though. My battery was pretty old, so I replaced that, and the same thing kept happening, in fact it was getting worse. I was having to press pretty much as hard as I could on the clutch pedal to get it to start. I figured it had something to do with the little button that gets pressed when you press in on the pedal, but wasn't exactly sure how it tied in.

I thought my floor mat might be inhibiting it somehow so I pulled it out and found a screw under it that looked like a lot of the others holding various things down around the pedals. It turns out that the screw belonged to the clutch petal system.

There is an open box that the clutch petal pivots on and it is anchored (just above the spring for the clutch petal). This is where the screw went. After I put it back, my clutch feels amazing. I don't know how long this screw had been loosening and causing me problems (I could see evidence from where the washer had rubbed a lot where the screw belonged). I think mine had been like this for a long, long time; comparing it to how other vehicles clutches have felt and how mine now feels.

My clutch had been feeling incredibly stiff. It felt like I had to keep it pinned to the floor. Now I can feel it get past a certain point and just kind of drop to the floor and stay there effortlessly.

I'm not super mechanically inclined, so it's kinda hard for me to explain this, but look around where the clutch petal is attached (just lay on your back in your floorboard) and I bet you that that one particular screw is loose or gone.

 

Thinking about it a little more. I think this "housing" for lack of a better word, is what gives you the mechanical advantage when working your clutch. When it's not working right, you are still able to fully press the clutch in, which is why you can shift and drive normally (without hearing a bunch of grinding).



If that picture worked, look at the one on the left. You'd be looking for a screw that goes in that upper most left corner, the part sticking off. (I think that might be a 4runner or something, but it should be similar enough in a Tacoma.)

 

Tydeorum, try replacing or bypassing the Clutch Pedal Position / Starter Safety Switch (AC Delco part #E2219E). I just had the same problems with my '98/V6/5 spd. The old starter went out and fried the clutch cancel switch, so I took mine off and spliced the wires. The downside to this is you can start it in gear now. I am the only one that drives my truck, so I have no issues with it. Hope this helps solve your problem.


Edited to correct terminology for part and part #.

 

I think thats exactly what is going wrong with my truck starts with clutchless start button but with when pushing down clutch with foot and no button, i get nothing?