Ignition is "iffy"

Can someone please watch this short video and tell me what is wrong with my ignition?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVPHxDi2ShI&feature=youtu.be

 

may be a bad starter

 

Does it always click twice?

Make sure your battery is healthy and the connection is solid.

 

1. Clean battery terminals and check connections
2. Get battery tested (free at any auto store) replace if necessary
3. Replace starter contacts and plunger. Super cheap and easy to do

 

Probably some burn marks on armatuer, the clicking is the solenoid doing its job (its getting juice & passing it along to starter bendix) but theres no field being created to spin the starter, you can try cleaning all connections & ground points, probably won't help, get a wooden dowel or a piece of 2x4 & smack the starter a couple times (its sticking) also, in the end your problem is going to be in the start armatuer i'm betting

 

Starter definitely. I just replaced the starter on mine because it was doing that. i think it really is the starter solenoid but its not much more to replace the entire starter.

 

If its clicking (solenoid) its working from my experience, but yeah its in the starter

 

for sure sounds like a starter

 

I thought it could get weak and just not have enough power to engage the starter like it should?

 

just have your starter rebuilt it's 1. cheaper 2. Still OEM. 3. better than anything from a parts store.

 

The solenoid is a "dumb" device, its either open or closed (like a relay switch, I would think that if theres no clicking it means 1 of 2 things...theres no power getting to it, or theres power getting to it but no "clicking" (sign of operation) hence then the solenoid is bad & not allowing current to starter if silent..

 

That makes sense

 

Rock auto has denso starters! I'd get one from there

 

Mine did the same thing and it ended up being bad battery connections and a battery that was on its last limb

 

Is the starter something the average Joe can replace?

 

Yes. It's very easy. I had mine out and laying on the ground in about 15 mins and I was doing it in the dark. There is 2 bolts holding it on and then one nut that holds the hot wire on. Once you get that loose, the starter pretty much falls out. I can't remember what size the bolts are but I want to guess that it is either a 12mm or a 14mm. I had to use a short socket and rachet on one bolt and then a wrench on the other. Oh and the starter is on the passenger side and the easiest way to get to the bolts is from underneath the truck.

 

Its awkward to get at, not fun, but do-able. Do you have a set of metric wrenches and a metric socket set?

Be sure to eliminate the easier stuff first, like battery, cables, starter solenoid, etc. It'd be the shits if you went to all the trouble to replace the starter (or rebuild the solenoid) and you still have the problem.

 

Dude, you're not going to believe this. I went out there with all my tools, ready to replace the starter. I had not purchased a starter, but was just looking to see what I was up against. Then I thought, what the heck, what could it hurt? I took a 2X4 like you said and banged on the starter about seven times. Got in the truck, turned the ignition, and it fired right up. Unbelievable. Thanks.

 

That problem won't go away. You'll get away with starting it like that for awhile, and then *poof* that trick won't work any more (it'll happen when it's snowing or freezing rain). You need to rebuild the starter or buy a new one.

I know this is for the 2.7, but it will be very similar to yours:
http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/1s...clicking-starter-2-7-liter-3rz-fe-engine.html

 

check conections at starter make sure no oil on them or if they are loose. pull the starter and check the connections to the depress sensor on the clutch pedal.