Intermittent starting problem?

2020 Tacoma SX
6cyl 4x4 automatic
Less than 14,000 miles

On Thanksgiving day I was driving down to Southern California. About 300 miles into the trip I pulled into a gas station to refuel. Less than 5 minutes and right back into the truck. Turned the key to on and panel lights up. Turn it to start and the display panel went dead except for a message saying to check charging system. No clicking, no slow starter motor speed. Tried again, same thing. Checked that transmission was in park, parking brake set, lights off, and door closed. Same thing. Turned on headlights and just as bright as day one. Figured battery was fine. Let it sit a few minutes and tried again and started up fine. Off I went.

I was working medical/rescue at an off-road motorcycle event and had to pull a rider out at night. No high beams. They worked if I pulled back on the handle to flash them. So bulbs are ok. Had the automatic beam lowering control turned off. Then they would work and then just go back to low beam. Figured must be a loose wire or switch that this bouncing across the Mojave was messing with.

Got home a few days later and hook up my Blue Driver sensor to see if any codes were thrown. All clear. Make an appointment with the local dealer I have been buying from for over 40 years.

Take it in and of course everything works fine so service advisor says nothing they can do.

Tonight I get home and the G/F needs to use my truck as her car just developed a coolant leak. Hand her the keys and out the door she goes. Comes right back in and says it won't start. Same thing as on Thanksgiving. Let it sit a bit and it starts right up.

I am going to call the dealer in the morning and expect the same result...

So my question is have any of you experienced or heard of similar problems and if so was there a finding as to cause?

TIA

 

Id rule out the battery first. Check for loose connections, then off to auto zone for free check.

 

My thoughts:

1. Bad battery
2. Bad neutral safety switch

Will it start if you put the shifter in Neutral?

 

Maybe a loose/faulty harness or wire inside the dash?

 

I would leave it at the dealer until they do something. It needs to be fixed.

 

Then they:

1. Refuse to give you a loaner
2. Park it at the far end of their lot for a week and do nothing.
3. Return it to you telling you it is fixed.

Of course, you *could* demand a brand new truck or a TRD PRO for your inconvenience but IIRC it didn't work out too well for that other dude.

Seriously though, try the neutral safety switch angle, it might be the issue.

 

I had this same issue the Monday morning after a thanksgiving. In my case I started the truck with the remote start (factory remote) went out ten mins later and it shut off as I open the door like usual. I got in and went to start...nothing. Message saying check charging system. I repeated this process a few times and nothing still. Checked all the usual things, open and shut hood invade that was throwing off the remote kill switch, still nothing. I locked the doors with the remote, unlocked, got in and it started. Weird. My wife said the same thing happened to her in our 2020 4Runner. I have no answer for this and it hasn’t happened since, I’m on guard though. I just assumed it might have something to do with the remote start I installed last month, but maybe that isn’t it. My truck is an 18 Limited.

 

My guess is bad ground. Enough of a ground to light the headlights, but not enough for high amp draw starter.

 

I never tried neutral but did move it out and back in to park with no joy. I am doubting it is battery as headlights worked with no dimming and no clicking from solenoid nor any sound of starter motor trying to turn.

Thanks for reply.

 

BTW, I checked battery connections and they are tight and no corrosion.

 

Headlight test isn't very good. My buddy just called a few nights ago, he was stuck at the gas pump, he insisted his battery was fine because the blower motor would go high, headlights were fine, windows worked, etc etc. I put a jump pack on, fired it up, and off he went to get a new battery,,, been fine since. Get it load tested, even new batteries (hell new everything) fail.

 

Also, many newer vehicles don't click click click or crank slow when the battery dies, I'm not an electrical guy, but I think the ECU doesn't attempt to crank when below a certain voltage. My JK did this when the battery died, everything worked except starter motor, no noises not even an attempt.

 

drop it at the dealer. I assume this brand new truck has warranty.

 

OP have any updates?

 

I take it into the dealer next Monday. They must really be busy as in the 40 years I have dealt with them I have never had to wait for more than a day. Problem has not recurred.

 

Well, service advisor still said nothing they can do until I get some sort of hard failure or get a code thrown. Said if they spend hours on it and still can't find anything wrong Toyota will not reimburse them and they would then charge me for the time. I did tell them I wanted each visit documented so if it fails after warrantee I have basis for extension or legal suite. Brought up, as mentioned above, engine not even clicking or turning over slowly as possible evidence of a ECU problem with a low battery and he said even with low battery the ECU would attempt to activate the starting circuit and I would hear clicking or slow starter motor.

So at this point I am still up in the air. If it recurs I am going to record the panel on my iPhone and bring it back. Not a real happy camper at the moment.

 

It's your battery. New vehicles don't act like old vehicles. Tell the dealer to check the battery.

 

To Mistrr Pig,
I have been experiencing the exact same problem since I bought this thing. Since the pandemic I have not driven the truck much so I just thought it was a fluke. But now it’s tiresome. I brought it in a couple of times because of the check engine electrical system messaging. They recharge the battery and sent me on my way. Hi need to do the obvious which is to record myself starting the truck because when I get there to the mechanics it always starts right up

 

Everything may look good to the eye but I would clean all connections ( wire brush) and then connect everything back. Sometimes all it takes is a little corrosion to make things go bad.$.02

 

Please take a volt meter and check battery voltage is around 12.6V with the engine off so you can tell all the folks going “bad battery” they are full of shit. It’s not your battery if the lights are bright and it’s not clicking trying to engage the starter. Thank you.