Intermittent Startup Problem (Electrical issue????)

Hello all, I am hoping someone out there reads this can can help me out, cuz I am stuck.

So I have an 2008 Tacoma, V6, and I love this car. Ive had it for 6+ years now and have had very few issues or maintenance costs. However a few weeks ago I noticed the battery light on one morning and the next day she wouldnt turn over, you could hear it try and just didnt have the juice. I called AAA and the service truck confirmed my alternator died and it took the battery with it. No biggie, got a new alternator and battery.

The next morning I get in my truck and turn the key and it wont start. Radio comes on, fan etc, windows all work. Just dosent even crank when the key is turned to ignition, just nothing other than the radio and electrical systems. So I keep screwing with it and eventually she fires up after 5 or 10 tries at the key. So I have been able to get it to fire eventually, but its a pretty sinking feeling getting in ur car and it wont turn over. So this eventually it keeps happening so I take it back to the shop. They tested the starter and it needs a new one... OK again no biggie new starter goes in. And the truck is fine for a few days

Then one morning last week it does the same thing... so I am scratching my head how this can be intermittent with a new starter, battery, and alternator. So I go grab a new starter relay ($60 for that btw is INSANE, but thats another story). I put in a new starter relay and before it went in I tested the connection in the relay box with my multimeter to make sure the ignition switch was sending voltage to the relay, and everything was fine

So its been fine for a few days and it just happened again an hour or two ago. Took me a solid 5 min of trying and eventually a good whap on the relay box in anger.... it finally turned over when I tried.

Can someone please advise what gremlin I may be chasing? Or what would be an advisable next step to diagnose this. What could be the cause of when I turn the key to ignition nothing happens?

Key is working, new starter relay, new starter, new alternator, and new battery.... I'm at a loss as to why this thing wont even crank on occasion. The fact is it can be fine for days on end and then all of a sudden this happens again. Makes no sense to me

 

sounds like the immobilizer in your key is bad. (assuming your truck has this feature....your key will have a little dot "O", or a "G" stamped on the blade and will have a red light that looks like a car with a key in the middle of it on the clock/airbag gauge under the stereo and above the climate controls)

when it is having trouble starting, if that light is on/blinking, or doing anything other than going away.....your immobilizer chip has gone bad.

have a friend with an 06 who was experiencing the same thing for well over a year until she finally figured it out.

side note....if its cranking but not starting......you probably didnt need a starter and i would be pissed off if i got charged for a new starter when i didnt need one. find a trustworthy mechanic (or competent)

 

My truck does not have this feature, its a plain key and no markings on the blade. And I do not have a caution and warning light as you describe.

And to be clear it either cranks and fires up immediately or not at all. My issue is that it is not cranking at all when I have this issue, just happened again. Had to try for 10 min before it finally fired up to go home after work a short while ago. But the engine is not cranking without firing, as soon as I get it to crank it fires right up. Its the getting it to crank part that seems to be the issue.

When I hold the key in the ignition position the Check Engine, Battery, and Oil temp lights go on. And if the car cranks all the lights just go out.

Could it be just a bad starter?

 

If there is no immobilizer, then That definitely sounds like a starter to me. Especially if they just replaced it with a remanufactured starter from auto zone or oreilleys. That’s common to have a brand new starter work for a week or two and then go out.

Have a friend bang on the starter with a hammer/bat/ whatever while you try to crank it.
If it wouldn’t crank (or just gives a “clunk” sound) but cranks right up while they are tapping on it, then it’s definitely the starter.
Another trick is to Rock the truck back and forth a few times while trying to start it. (Again. All tricks that may or may not help in the slightest IF it is in fact the starter)


EDIT: when i say bang on the starter.....what i mean is lightly tap tap tap repeatedly while youre trying to turn the key in the ignition. dont try and smash the fucker. you hold the key in the crank position and they start tapping as you hold. there is no precise timing thing where they have to tap at the exact time you turn the key forward or anything silly like that. at times you can even get out of the truck, tap that bitch yourself to knock it loose, get back in and then crank and itll work just fine also.

 

So i tried a little tappy tap tap with my girl holding the key on ignition... nothing. I tried taping on several areas to no avail. And no i didnt beat the shit out of it

Opened the relay box and put my finger on the starter relay and she kept trying, it wasnt clicking until it finally did and the car fired right up. So I'm thinking now its gotta be the key switch. Are these a bear to change or something you can tackle with simple hand tools? Figures I tested it and got proper voltage when I tried it

 

cant help ya there. never done that repair before. in my experience they arent that hard, except when you have to yank the steering wheel. still not that hard, you just have to have the right tools and take your time. but in either case im bowing out. good luck man

 

Intermittent switch is a possibility. It might be worthwhile to check the ground cable and connection from the battery before you throw more money at it. I assume the battery connections are all solid.