Starter issues

I have a 2004 4x4 TRD automatic.About 1.5 years ago one day I started my truck the starter wouldn't stop after the engine started, I turned the key back it shut off right away when I restarted it was fine. For months it started normally then occasionally at the end of a start it would make a grinding noise this was intermittent. Other times it would make a tapping/rattling noise after starting it kind of sounded like a loose heat shield but was coming from the bell housing and the noise was in sync with engine rpm, this was also intermittent if I shut it off and restarted usually the noise would be gone.

Recently the truck started making a really terrible grinding noise on every start. I decided to change the starter with a reman denso one. I wanted to move my truck to a better spot to work on this time it didn't start and it sounded like metal shattering. When I pulled the old starter I saw the guts of it had been ripped out and sucked into the flexplate.

I reached in got most of what I could reach then I took off the inspection plate and pulled out more bits of metal with a magnet, lots of ball bearings, metal rings, and metal fragments. After getting it as clean as I could I installed the new starter and now it makes a loud clank noise right when the engine starts. I cant feel any play in the flexplate and the teeth seem to look ok but I'm not sure what they look like new.Not sure what to do now and I'm worried my new starter will break.

I was wondering is it possible a failing ignition switch or relay could be making the starter hang for a second?

 

It could. But the more likely culprit is the starter. Did you make sure it was fully seated upon installation? I suspect that improper install may have cause the gears to bind and eventually break. The clang you're hearing now could still be leftover pieces or your flex plate is messed up. I'm not sure what to tell you.

 

btw i've seen way worse damage done to flexplates, replace that starter and you should be good, it looks like the solenoid is sticking, but... it could be the ignition switch as well, but start with starter !

 

Just guessing here... If the key ign. switch returns, I vote that the solenoid got stuck and then got eaten by the ring gear.

I drive old stuff (my 04 Taco is the youngest at 157k miles. Also drive an 03 Durango with 256k miles. Wierd shit happens to old vehicles )

 

Happened to me but not to this extent.

Starter was always fine until one day I start the truck and the starter keeps going...I turn the ignition off engine turns off but the starter still going keys in my hand....I was leaving a dentist app so I wasn't home and with no tools lol I popped the hood and had to bend the battery cable terminal up and down to break it off the battery so it would stop cranking. Ended up sleeping in the truck for an hour until my buddy came by with my tools (he had to go pick them up) and get me to an autozone to get a starter and terminal. Ended swapping it out as it was pouring rain through the wheel well. Not fun. Nice clothes no cardboard to lay on.

But yea solenoid fused on. Those solenoids are crap.

To answer your question about the relay, it is possible, however I would swap it out with another next to it. The EFI, and starter relays should be the same part. Give it a shot see if it changes the starting sound.

 

The old starter worked fine for 120k miles so it must have been seated properly. The new one looks tight and seated properly, the circle on the starter fits snuggly into the hole on the bell housing so I'm not sure how I could install it wrong. I also torqued the bolts to 29 ft lbs. The noise is the same every time so I don't think its leftover pieces, I also left the inspection plate off just in case so any leftovers could get tossed out.

The key does return but I can also remove the key with the truck running, not sure if that matters. Maybe the solenoid was sticking on the old one but I don't think it would be sticking on the new one, but I'm still getting a noise at the end of starting.

The starter relay and the EFI relay are different, the EFI is a tiny 5 prong one the starter is a large 4 prong. It seems to be the only large 4 prong one in the truck.

 

Oh I see. I thought you had the issue with the new starter exploding, not the old one.