Not starting

I have an 07 Tacoma 4x4, 2.7 manual trans. It just sat for months because it won't start. replaced battery, starter(3 times) battery harness, safety switch on clutch, dealership has tried to find the problem. As of now I have to tap the starter most of the time to fire it up. Most of the wear & tear items have been replaced. It has a new frame under warranty. Most of the problems started after the frame work. Dealership claims no responsibilty because the problems developed a year after the work. HELP!

 

Okay, let's look at this from an analytical perspective:

1. When you say, 'won't start', do you mean: Won't crank, cranks, but won't fire, or cranks, fires and dies immediately?
2. Was there any work, any accidents, or any damage during the interval between frame-swap and issue?
3. What parts were replaced?
4. Have you verified spark and fuel pressure?
5. Is the CEL on, and have you checked for pending/stored/active DTCs?

 

NO power getting to starter, power to everything else. No accidents ever, have replaced almost every pully, water pump, new clutch, flywheel. Was in transportation so every noise was fixed. It was my daily driver up to 2 years ago. Once it starts it runs 100%. No lights on. Dealer had the truck a week ago, mechanics there are clueless.

 

You mentioned that you have to tap the starter to get it going. Maybe rebuild the starter and see if that helps? There's two copper contacts inside that wear out over time.

 

It's on the 3ed new starter in 6 months

 

So you have power when you turn the key but the truck wont start, but it will start if you tap the starter? That just sounds like a bad starter.

 

^^^This first.
Also why did you replace the starter 3 times? Was the starter proven bad each time? Did you have to tap the prior starters to get it to start? Since tapping the starter gets it to start I’m thinking electrical problem, loose wire/connection, faulty ground, short......but first answer tirediron’s questions. I just don’t see 4 starters going bad in a short time, something must be causing the starter to fail over and over.

 

3ed new starter in 6 months, replaced the battery harness, new battery. dealership is stumped. their answer is a new OEM starter.

 

Grounding issue.

Take one side of a set of jumper cables. Connect the black to the nagative post, and the other black to a clean spot on the engine. If it starts you have a bad ground. Leave the red jumper unconnected.

 

Has to be electrical, ran a new ground wire, replaced the battery harness, was trying new starters because the mechanic thought we got a bad one. Took it back & got a new one. No joy. same problem. Been chasing this gremlin for almost a year.

 

You say, “No power to the starter”

How have you verified this?
And what wires are you checking?
Which wire(s) are not getting power?

 

I too am thinking ground problem

 

Ditto on the ground, and if a new starter fixes?? But it does it again, put on a OEM starter from the dealership. I have had crappy rebuilds, I had three in a row from Auto Zone until I got a OEM. OEM is the way to go. I find it hard to believe a dealership can not find the problem.

The more I read back on this the more mystery I see. No power to the starter, how did he check? Replacing starters and it worked or not??

 

Me to.
As pulling the Starter Relay would answer a bunch of questions.
If you have the appropriate power and grounds to a good relay, you can move on to the battery wire and ground. Then test the battery/starter wire for voltage and drop.And like stated, use an additional ground wire to confirm a good ground.
If the relay isn’t getting power and ground, you likely don’t have a starter problem.

Unless the problem is intermittent, and the dealer can’t replicate the problem?
I don’t see why they can’t find the problem?

 

Until the OP understands how to check power and how its suppose to work... its going to remain a mystery.

 

While I agree it could be a grounding issue, given that the starter is chassis grounded, I find it hard to believe that the fault would persist after three starters. Is your security light on? Have you checked for DTCs?

First, confirm battery voltage is good, and then verify power to the starter using an analogue test light; one with a relatively high current demand such as a headlight bulb will confirm power and ground. If the light doesn't light, then you need to work back to the battery; look under the truck and see if you can see any stains on the ground where leaking electrons may have accumulated! If the light only lights dimly, or erratically, than you almost certainly have a bad ground, and that should be simple to chase down, but, as I said earlier, that seems unlikely to me after three starters.

 

FYI I have had 3 bad Chevy rebuilt starters, two were from NAPA! The last one I got from a local re builder lasted for years. Same $hit from AutoZone on a Chevy 1999 Silverado Alternator and they were nice about it but two in a row, same thing. The third one was a OEM from the same local re builder and it lasted until I traded the truck. So lesson learned use the local guy who I now trust 100%. We really do not know the complete story on the OP issue.

 

There are many grounds on toyotas, only 1 needs to be bad for a load of problems. Could also be dirty contacts in the ignition key cylinder. I'm guessing you have to constantly turn the key multiple times to get it to try and start?

 

Until someone gets under the truck and verifies power is or is not getting to the solenoid coil and the large contact terminal which should have battery voltage all the time. We are never going to know much.

I personally think it is the solenoid based on the fact that it works when he hits it.

 

Me too.
Which make me also suspect power is getting to the starter.

I’m more curious as to why a dealership can’t (or won’t) diagnose the problem.
After replacing the same part 3 times, I’d be trying something different.
Wether it’s a different part, or a different person doing the work.
(No offense to your work abilities OP. It very well could be parts)

I understand things can go wrong.
But after the second time, I’m not repeating the same “process”.