Need Help. Starter, Single Click without start.

2000 Tacoma Pre-Runner v6 3.4L

Situation:
I was out getting groceries and stopped at a market. Everything seemed normal.
I turned the key and heard a single click. Nothing else happened.

1. Tried my Noco Jump box: Single Click, no start.
2. Tried to jump from a car after charging for a bit: Single Click, no start.
3. Got the truck home. Tested all fuses and starter relay: Single Click, no start.
4. Tested Battery: 12.5 V no load 11.6 V while trying to crank: Single Click, No start.
5. Pulled Starter replace contacts: Single Click, No Start.
6: Replaced Starter (O'Reilly's, only place in walking distance) : Single Click, No Start.
7: Replaced Battery (O'Reilly's): Single Click, No Start.
8: Turned Crank Shaft to make sure nothing crazy was up: Single Click, No Start.
9: Voltmeter to check for current with solenoid wire: Looks Good
10: Tested relay, Good. And can feel it click when I crank: Single Click, No start.

The single click is loud and coming from both of the starter solenoids (trying to engage?)

What am I missing? So frustrated.

Thank you for any help.
Benjamin

 

I'm putting my two pennies on the starter contacts not being able to hold the plunger pulled due to corrosion and pitting. The original starter that came on these Tacomas is a high quality Denso unit. The bearings, construction in general is good stuff. I definitely recommend replacing the starter contacts and the plunger if the starter is a Denso. If it's a crapped out parts store reman on your taco than I'd recommend replacing with a reman unit from Toyota. The point is that it's very easy to stay away from the crappy ones. That's what I recommend

Edit: sorry man I thought those were a list of what you wanna try next. My bad. I'll reread in a new light lol

 

It's a great idea. And step 5 of what I have tried so far. So now I have a sweet rebuilt starter that only clicks. I am starting to think that step 9 may be the culprit. High resistance in my starter connector wire, the small one. Though I am going to need to recruit another pair of hands to help me jump it. Unless I can wire up one of my ham power supplies to it. Leave my ignition on and just flip the switch to my power supply for a second.

Again, not sure. But thank you for the suggestion.

 

Oh you've already replaced the cibtacts

Yes it's acting as if it's not getting full voltage to the starter. I agree

 

How do the battery clamps and cables look? Any corrosion?

 

Ignition switch?

 

The battery cables look good, the starter (S terminal) connector and wire was coated in grime and stuff from snowy roads. Maybe 19 years of stuff finally built up in the connector and convinced it to stop trying. Pulled all my grounds and cleaned and reconnected them, though they all looked okay.

Giving up for the night. The next plan is to remove the connector wire and find a way to jump the terminal as a friend cranks it...

 

If you have an ohmmeter you can see if the resistance is excessive

 

Definitely beginning to smell like something on the ignition side of the circuit. This piqued my curiosity https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqs29N9AAP0

 

I do! I've learned a lot about it today. I didn't realize it had a min/max function until today. To test this, do I have to stick one probe in the connector and the other where ever the other end is? How much is too much? Do I just do the whole V = IR and look for a resistance that would drop the voltage less than... 2.5v or so?

 

I wouldn't imagine you should have much resistance at all. Yeah one probe on end and other on other end of cable.
You could also probe the positive and negative at the starter while someone turns key to make sure you have 12V getting there

 

If the resistance is too high less than 12V will be getting there

 

Bad battery

 

Well how’s it going you get this figured out?

 

check the ground cable where it bolts onto the block. It sure sounds like you have bad cable(s) / connections.

 

Just because all the connections look clean and tight does not mean the cable can not be corroded under the insulation to the point it no longer conducts enough

 

Try to turn the crank pulley

 

OP has tried that already!

 

Didn't see that... Oops