2003 Tacoma not turning over

The alarm system is worth looking into, if it's one of those aftermarket alarms that disengages the starter then it might be causing trouble if its not working correctly.

My truck has one of those from the dealership and I'm always worried one day it'll do something like that.

 

If it turns out to be the security system that's causing the no-start issue, I would find it interesting that the solenoid is still getting power from the ignition.

 

If the starter solenoid clicks that means it has nothing to do with the ignition circuit. If the solenoid on the starter itself clicks and nothing happens, then:

1) starter is bad

Or

2) the starter is not getting enough power as in bad power wire or ground.

See attached wiring

 

Can I like your post twice ?

All above easy to check with simple 12V probe.

 

Haha You beat me to the diagram =P

 

Any one got me some pointers of finding and verifying the alarm system. Did 1st gen trucks have a factory alarm system option? where it all located and how it work?

Yes i need to recheck all voltages all the way down. Searching for a ghost here. Have called a priest to perform and excorsisum just in case.

 

A Toyota dealer installed mine and it was a "KARR" alarm, has the sticker on the windshield. They told me it disengages the starter to keep the truck from running if someone tries to take it without first properly disengaging the alarm with the key remote. That's really all I know about it, sorry...there's a little black device for it mounted above my left knee under the steering wheel.

 

Tomorrow's lunchtime Diet Coke says this is your problem.

When you find it, surgically remove it, then smash it before throwing it away. Just to feel better.

 

You had the Knight Automated Roving Robot??..........Sorry, I saw KARR and immediately thought of Knight Rider!

 

Ha, I had to look that one up. I don't remember it but I was only a year old when that show ended so makes sense lol.

 

Try ignition switch. Take it apart and inspect it. Test it if you know how. If not just replace it. Just note that the ignition switch replacement does NOT entail replacing keys at all, no need for all that.

Also my buddy had a problem with his Matrix a few months ago, the car wouldn't start, pretty much the same thing that's happening to your daughter's truck. We tested starter, replaced starter, replaced the clutch switch, replaced starter again and the ignition switch as well. Nothing worked. We wanted to replace relays but at this point he was tired of spending his money his manual didn't specify which relay was which and there was nothing online about it. At this point we were tired.

Another friend pointed out that we could bypass the starter directly via a momentary starter switch, which we did. We connected a cable all to way from the cabin to the starter. We had to to cut a hole to fit the momentary switch in the cabin which gives power to the starter. It pretty much bypasses everything from the ignition switch all the way to the starter. This only costs us like 15 buck and it's just gonna give him some time to get enough money to send it to the dealership.

 

From opening post...............

 

I'm curious to see if that worked. he was saying something about fried cables. Just my 2 cents.

 

For the OP, I had the same symptoms as OP and I rebuilt the contacts a couple years ago. I pulled the starter and checked contacts and they look great. I disassembled the other part of starter, armature or stator, whatever it's called and inspected carefully. I found nothing that looks to be concerning. BUT when manually engaging the Bendix I could tell that it wasn't quite perfectly smooth enough movement to move on its own. Felt just a bit hitchy to start moving. I blew out a LOT of carbon/dust crap and reassembled using PTFE lube, SuperLube, where those points of ever so slight binding was happening and it was beautifully smooth manually operating it. Reinstalled and cranked perfectly first time and has since. I think the carbon and dust was keeping the Bendix from starting that initial movement. Might be worth a check if you find nothing else. I hope you didn't get rid of the OEM starter.... The remans are usually junk. Even the Toyota remans are spotty, but they are better than parts store reman.

 

That was the method of throwing parts and hope it fix the problem vs proper diagnostics and circuit tracing. Method used by some shops, which makes perfect sense. It is mental thing. An average customer is happy paying for 500 dollars for all parts (needed or not) and 2 hours job, but would be very upset it it is charged for 2 hours diagnostics and 5 dollars part - he/she would see it as incompetent technician, who spend so much time on replacing one simple part. But in fact the truth is up side down: very clever technician and very incompetent customer.

 

This is the BEST post I have ever read. Speaking from experience, even clever techs make mistakes in diagnosis, fortunately for me it usually only involves my time and not hard parts. Ever had a car owner install their own battery but backwards? Why does everything not work right on the car but off the car OK... duh.

 

To be fair we didn't charge the guy. We did it as a favor to him who wouldn't go to the dealer in the first place. I stated we didn't know anything about electrical work. After 400 bucks or so he gave up. Me personally Don't like to go to mechanic places let alone the dealership because 2 times they fucked with my cars and cost me a lot of money the second car I had to sell because of all the money it was going to cost me. Which is why I try to fix my own stuff and I'm on this website.

We may be incompetent like you said but I don't see my buddy complaining when he wakes up in the morning and doesn't have to beg coworkers to give him a lift or wake up extra early to take the bus to work until he can come up with some money to try and fix it again.

Taking it to the dealer or a mechanic doesn't guarantee the car is going to get fixed.

 

Electrical work is very tedious, especially with modern cars full of computers and miles of wires. Dealer or mechanic will just plug in his diagnostic computer into diagnostic port and this is where his knowledge. The rest is following the checklist steps displayed on the screen.
The concept is cool but only on the paper. It assumes that one circuit or part is broken, mechanic will replace indicated part and run diagnostic program again. Now the problem appears if it shows a different fault on different part - then that part is going to be replaced. That loop can go forever specially when something is not functioning correctly but it is not hard fault (like teared up insulation, bad contact or rusted plug, missing ground etc.). In that case diagnostic software will show different things every time and none of them will be related to the true problem. This is why dealers don't want to deal with flooded cars or cars eaten by rodents - parts throwing technique will not work here unless they replace the entire car.

I think first gen Tacoma is the last gen where electrical is is still manageable at home. I was reading the EWD for 2014 Nissan Versa Note (strange hobby it is ) - all normal wiring is mostly gone. Every circuit gets power wires (via circuit breaker or fuse) and digital signal wire (CAN-BUS). For example there is no electrical (analog) connection between switches and devices controlled by that switch. Switch is connected to one computer (mainly Master Body ECU) telling the switch position. ECU is communicating via CAN-BUS with other computer that powers the appropriate relay. If you flip the switch and nothing happens you can diagnose that thing only by diagnostic computer connected to the CAN-BUS. Cool, but crazy - not doable at home.

 

Yea. That's why I have computers specifically for Audi, Mercedes, porsche, BMW, etc...

I have to hook up my laptop to them to diagnose. For instance my girls Mercedes SBC pump failed...well not really failed but it popped with a warning (red screen) to Stop vehicle immediately as the brake pressure pump is bad. I hooked up my computer and after a certain amount of brake pedal presses the pump needs to be replaced......the brake system is under constant hydraulic pressure. To replace the pump I need to deactivate the system so that the pressure was released and I am able to take it apart. For that I need a computer. Then after replacement you need to bleed it. To do that you also need the computer to set it to bleed mode so the SBC pressurized the system one wheel at a time to bleed. When done it will test for faults and if no faults you need the computer to activate the system.....

All that on a 2004....just imagining what bullshit they have in 2019...