Tacoma won't crank after intake manifold reinstalled

Hi everyone,

I recently had my throttle body and intake manifold off to replace the infamous coolant bypass pipe. Tried to flush my coolant and found the truck won't even try to start (one quiet click, no crank).

To complicate matters:

• While awaiting parts, I also replaced my broken negative battery ground with a generic switch-to-starter cable.
• When putting the manifold back, I think I accidentally got the fuel lines reversed. I've since corrected it, but the first time I tried the ignition I think they were backwards.
• When I removed the manifold, I was able to do so without disrupting the wiring harness overtop; I believe I only had to unplug the connectors on the air box and the throttle body, and I've made sure those are solid.

The fact that there's so little happening when I turn the key makes me wonder if it isn't an electrical/ground connection I missed. Or could I have knocked something loose down by the starter when I took the old pipe out?

Other accessories work fine. I tried swapping the negative battery ground back to the old (broken) one, holding it in place, in case that was it. No dice. Multimeter reads 12.7 on battery. When I hooked up a booster pack, it just clicked and wouldn't engage; could be because the battery is already full? Or could be another indication of an incomplete/incorrect ground?

Anything I should try before I tear the whole thing apart again? I'm not all that mechanically inclined; appreciate any ideas!

 

A single click and no crank makes me suspect something around the battery cables and terminals. Make sure they're clean and snug. Try some jumper cables too

 

Try disconnecting the the starter cable that you installed and check its continuity. Could be a faulty cable and maybe your truck isn't grounding properly. That fact that it won't turn over would tell me your problem is in the ignition portion of the spark, fuel, and air triangle.

 

Thanks both.

Yes it's definitely something to do with the battery ground. I jammed the old copper cable back in right at the terminal and got it to crank. I'm having a hard time picturing how to get a better connection on the new cable if that's the issue.

I'm confused because I thought I'd read about other owners who drove for days (weeks?) before even noticing the ground cable off their negative terminal was even broken. But for me, apparently it's critical.

 

Glad to hear you found your issue. It might be best if you look for something a little more robust than the generic cable. Could be a break in the cable somewhere that doesn't allow good connection. Sometimes the extra $$$ on an OEM part is worth it with these trucks.

 

When I shorted the 5v system (vvti sensor) on my 1gr-fe messing with the manifold on top, it would crank but had no spark. So hopefully you're safe there because it was not fun to troubleshoot. Shorting the circuit on top of the engine acts like the ECU is dead

 

@NorthPark how did that happen and what was your solution?

I'm beginning to think I spoke too soon. Engine started up just fine a couple times. I ran it for a good 20 minutes to flush it with water and check for any issues. It ran great. Then I shut it off and jacked it up to help burp it as I added coolant ...and it wouldn't start again. No changes to the battery ground. Fiddled with that again and no dice. Again, my battery ground isn't pretty but I find it hard to believe it's that touchy. Especially since I'd had it connected this way for weeks previous, with two different batteries, without issue (photo attached).


I'm back to wondering if there's a loose connection or ground somewhere on the manifold or block.

 

That short cable that bolts to the body. Cramming it in the battery terminal isn’t the best way to do it. Plus, the ugly spot in the middle, it’s gotta go.

If you don’t own the tools to make a new one yourself, any auto stereo shop should be able to make a nice replacement.

Be careful removing the bolt that holds the cable to the body. A few people have snapped it off.

 

Oh, I'll definitely replace it. In fact, I already did, but I took it off because I thought it might be the issue.

But I'm still not convinced that's my problem and I'd like to try to troubleshoot one thing at a time. Can anyone else confirm if their 2.7L 4cyl Tacoma won't start without that ground? Because I was under the impression it would impede charging, but not starting...

 

I had one on a different engine, the body ground bolt hole had sand blast sand in it, the bolt wasn’t tightened down, so it was causing an intermittent stalling. I was the 3rd tech to try to figure it out. Fixed that, problem solved.

 

Okay, thanks for that insight. I’ll focus on getting this ground solidified and keep my fingers crossed that there’s nothing else going on.

 

The weak link on these starters is the Solenoid Contacts which are prone to wear and charring. Indications are one single click and then nothing. That click is the starter relay which sends power to the starter solenoid to pull it in. The solenoid pulls in the plunger that connects the copper contacts for the starter motor power and extends the bendix gear to engage the flywheel. The problem is the copper contacts inside the solenoid are burned and need to be replaced.

The issue can be very intermittent or it can be persistent.

You can buy the contacts and plunger new from Nations Starter and Alternator for about 30 - 35 bucks. Much cheaper than hundreds for a rebuilt POS from Autozone or big bucks from the dealer.

https://www.nationsstarteralternator.com/Starter-Rebuild-Kits-s/37.htm


Check this video for rebuilding the solenoid on the starter. The biggest issue with the V6 Engine and 4X4 is you have to take the starter out through the drivers wheel well area.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwokxzjlYcQ


I rebuilt my starter solenoid for 30 bucks and 45 minutes in my driveway.

 

The starter grounds to the block.
But why speculate. Diagnose it.
If you can jam cables in a terminal like that, you can diagnose the issue

@Dm93 has a good diagnosis DIY.
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/2nd-gen-information-diagnostics.784008/#post-28042155

You can also do a voltage drop test to see if the cables are providing a good connection.

 

The voltage drop test is my go to. My meter has peak high & low hold so it’s easy.

 

That diagnosis guide is awesome. I’m pretty inexperienced when it comes to electrical gremlins so that’s a huge help. Thanks for all the ideas.

Temperatures have been a record cold here also; wondering if that might have something to do with it. I’ll test the starter and battery grounds and go from there.