Ignition problems? - SOLVED! Loose nut at the end of my wrench... :)

So my 2004 truck will start intermittently... when it doesn't - it makes a strong click from the starter, but nothing else.

Battery seems good, alternator good, starter good, wiring connections between all of them good.

Someone mentioned it could be the ignition.. anyone have any thoughts on that?

Also, if I do replace it, can I get the ignition rekeyed to the old keys?

Thanks!

 

If its the ignition switch harness I believe that can be unplugged, unbolted, from the key cylinder.

 

ah yes - so it would most likely be that wouldn't it?

 

Have you check the starter? Tapping it after it doesn't start? I have an 02 and it cranks no matter what, given the abuse its gone through.

 

*Edit

Make sure that all of your grounds and power cables are tight. If the starter isn't getting enough juice due to a bad connection the solenoid may just click and not have enough juice to turn the starter over. If the connections are good and tight then......

It's the starter.

Happened to me. Would click once or twice then finally turn over. Click means solenoid is good but the starter internally is most likely warn and has a few dead spots where the brushes meet. Get you a starter and problem solved. See if they offer a High Torque starter option as well. I got one installed on mine and it cranks up pretty dang quick.

 

thanks for the help... it's most likely not the starter though - I just put a new one in yesterday thinking it was that. that's why I mentioned all the components listed were good and tested - and checked the cable connections.

 

Note to self....read the entire thread. Apologies.

Hmm Idk Im still swaying towards a bad ground or something along those lines. If the solenoid makes a click, then that means it is getting power/ground (depending on if it is ground or power activated) and completing the circuit for the starter to engage. if the starter doesnt respond that means that the starter itself isn't getting power. I wouldn't think Yota would run straight battery power to the starter through the ignition switch. Ignition switch should just be power to the solenoid or the switch on the starter simply put.


Hey but I'm looking forward to see what it is when you figure it out. We learn something new everyday.

 

I'm thinking the power cable from the battery to the starter needs some cleaning. The start gets a ground signal from the actual transmission housing itself.

 

Yes it does, however, I meant that there is a ground from engine to body. I have seen in the past that not being connected or loose causing weak starting or even arcing.

 

Ah, right. Then the one I'd look at is the transmission ground cable.

 

Fricken Jebus.... so I added an aftermarket wiring/electrical upgrade kit from a group buy on here a while back - so the starter cable gets stuffed into the middle of the battery connector into a hole where you screw it down - I tugged on it multiple times, seemed snug, well connected - so move on. Well literally the last thing I decided to check before calling my mechanic was to try and tighten down that screw - it did turn just a bit, not much.

Truck starts right up.

!#$!#%$!#$!#%!$

meh... the good news is I have a new starter so one thing less to worry about for quite some time - and I learned a lesson.

Thanks all...!

 

Haha Glad you got it solved.

Sometimes the simplest things will bite ya!

 

uh huh

 

That a shame if you gave up your denso starter for a parts store POS.

Just for general knowledge, denso starters are an easy, cheap rebuild. The contacts wear and no longer make clean contact with the plunger. Replacement contacts/plunger are under $20 online. I actually fixed one or these by just filing the pitted contacts clean (no replacement). Works like new, and bought me time until I could get the new contacts. But I still have not put them in.

Bad battery connections are so easily overlooked. I always tell myself "do the easy stuff first" after I've found no problems with the hard stuff.

 

I don't like to piggyback but most time it takes me around 5-7 cranks to turn over. problem is the remote start only cranks 4-5 times then waits for 30 seconds before trying again. then fires right up but I can hear the starter spinning for a few turns due tot he remote starter timing.

would this be power/ground connection or starter contacts wearing down? thoughts?

 

It usually doesn't take that long to start a car, really. I mean it didn't take it 5 tries to start when your 1st bought it right?

 

the starter they gave me back was a denso as well... so all is good on that front (of course, hopefully they did a good job on the rebuild).

 

obviously not, that's why I was asking if it seemed like one versus the other

 

With remote starts the alarm waits for a steady signal from the tach signal so its not your remote start thats the issue unless it was wired wrong from the start and the issues are starting to show itself. Should look into your ignition system to see why its taking long to start. Your starter cranking is a sign that the starter is getting signal so juice isn't a problem.

 

Bad contacts usually prevent the starter from energizing. So you usually just here a click. If you keep trying, you may get it engage, but eventually even multiple trys won't work. If it's cranking the engine and not starting, it wouldn't seem to be the starter or a bad connection.