Intermittent cranking issue

Hi,

I have an odd issue and google has not helped. Sometimes when I turn the key it just clicks. Sometimes moving the steering wheel helps "fix" it.

Now when it does happen, the 4 wheel low, and anti-skid warning lights come on. When it finally starts those lights stay on, but if you shut off the truck and restart it they go out.

I am thinking it is a wire issue in the steering column or somewhere related, but curious if anyone has ever seen anything like this.

Thanks,
Dave

 

what truck do you have?

 

2009 Tacoma v6 4wd manual

 

And while driving just now it shut off on the road and now won’t crank with the same symptoms

 

How is your battery? Alternator may not be charging.

 

All is fine. Wouldn’t crank this morning. Got the usual 4wd low flashing light. This afternoon started fine went to the store and on the way home it just shut of while driving. All lights etc work fine.

 

Definitely in the steering column. I went back today and still nothing/clicking. Finally after several minutes of turning yanking and pounding the steering wheel while trying to start if finally started and I drove it home.

any thoughts or ideas of what might be going on in there??

 

If you have a clutch start cancel button you could press it and see if it starts.
If it doesn't have one or it still doesn't start I would start by checking for power at the starter with a test light on both the big terminal and the small terminal while you have someone hold the key in the start position, they should both have power in the start position.

 

Thank you for the detailed info. Yesterday I was finally able to get it started by turning the key while aggressively turning the steering wheel back and forth.

Also my most recent issue with the no crank came after the truck suddenly shut off while driving. I was shifting from second to third and when I let out the clutch and hit the gas it was no longer running.


I am now into the steering column and am leaning towards the rotating interface for the steering wheel electrical connections or possibly the ignition switch.


The fact that it shut off completely and then wouldn’t start has me there. Does anyone think there is there any chance the anti theft key chip system could do this. I have read it will crank but not start if the key is not present. Is this true or does it kill the starter circuit as well.

 

Ah yea I missed the part about it stalling, I would be checking the ignition switch then.

The immobilizer will not cause it to stall once running nor disable the starter so it's not that.

 

Thank you for the info. The description for the ignition switch pretty much sums up my issue

 

@dcl1062
Hey man, you ever figure this one out? Did it turn out to be the steering column or the ignition switch? Having the same issue here and already replaced my ignition switch with no luck.