Gunshot's Taco Build and Washington Debauchery Log...

Truck ghosted me again in the maverik parking lot getting lunch. Had previously disconnected everything aftermarket, so the fault lies somewhere between the battery and the starter in factory systems.

Put the key in and nothing. No door open light, starter click, etc.

Battery tests out at 12.8v on the multi meter I had in the truck, fairly normal.

Pull, examine, reinsert every fuse and nothings blown or looks abnormal.

Still nothing.

Loosened fender ground, battery ground and hot terminal, and undid the harness wire to terminal lug connection, then retightened all.

Go to check, all pre-start lights are on as normal, truck starts without a fuss.

Gonna clean the inside of all the terminal lug rings, and get the battery load tested at O'reilly on the way home. I'm losing my mind over this. Truck started fine from last Wednesday night till today at lunch without even the slightest hiccup.

Edit: forgot there's a fuse panel behind the change holder by my knee. Will have to inspect that panel when I get home as well.
Edit2: And that I have an add-a-fuse in one of the ign spots on said panel.

 

I was gonan say, clean the battery terminals and lugs. I had this problem before where things weren't happy on the truck. Cleaned the terminals with battery cleaner and protected them....and not a problem since.

 

Yeah, reminded me of when an oil change place overfilled my radiator and dumped coolant on the battery and corroded the terminal connections on my 1st gen. Gave me fits all the way to Jackson Hole that I left for right after. Cleaned them up and good as new.

 

Also potentially sounds like a starting-to-become-faulty ignition switch might be at play?

https://www.700r4transmissionhq.com/toyota-tacoma-bad-ignition-switch-symptoms/

 

Had intermittent starting problems on my '02. Thought it was the starter, so I spent 8 hours changing that, which wasn't exactly that easy. Turns out the PO tightened the battery lugs to much and the lug had split causing intermittent shorts. I only found it AFTER I changed the starter.

 

ok, so order of operations thinking out loud:

1. Test battery load at O'reilly on the way home.
2. Clean and inspect terminals after getting home
3. Inspect change drawer fuse panel fuses
4. Revert all fuses back to factory down there to test control group
5. Wait and see I guess?

 

split laterally(internally?) or vertically? Posts were totally fine and intact when I loosened, removed, retightened both lugs today.

 

It was internally. I only found it because, after the new starter was in and I had replaced the positive wire lug on the starter, the battery lug fell apart in my hands in 3 pieces.

 

Would you have been able to identify it by tugging on the terminal post?

 

Oh, and my X2 battery has a warranty for 4 years, but I think it's up this month. Figures I bought it in-store so I don't have a receipt for it.

 

I believe they've got a 5-year full replacement.
Also, Batterys Plus stores keep track of your purchase by phone number, if that's where you bought it.

 

https://www.batteriesplus.com/product-details/marine_rv/battery/x2power/sli31agmdpm

Their current page says 48mo free replacement, but I'll ask if I need to swap it out. Thankfully, I know which store I bought it from, and its the one right by my office.

 

Update

1. Test battery load at O'reilly on the way home.
2. Clean and inspect terminals after getting home
3. Inspect change drawer fuse panel fuses - all appears normal
4. Revert all fuses back to factory down there to test control group - all appears normal, add a fuse for dash cam was on the washer fuse, not ign.
5. Wait and see I guess?

 

Could it be voltage regulator?

i just got this guy. $365

 

Battery is fine voltage-wise, and shows a normal (13.x) charging voltage once the truck is running, so its not an alternator or anything tied to that. Getting it started is the problem.

Battery load/bad battery or faulty ignition switch are my leading theories now if it isnt a dirty terminal.

 

Google timeline FTW! Only time I visited that store.

 

Upside to all this is that this bug isnt based on my aftermarket bits, so I dont have to get under the truck and investigate the routing on all that! Silver linings...

 

hooray! at least it isn't aftermarket....but I would almost prefer it to be somethign aftermarket. because then you know wher the wiring is. lolol

 

Yeah, the downside to OEM faults like this is if it isnt the battery, it could be like 5 things, none of them easy to test without taking it to a dealer.

Also the fact that the issue only occurs like every 50th time, so it isn't a consistent and repeatable failure able to use cause/effect to fix.

Deep breaths.

 

Looks like you're on the right track, keep checking off that list