Truck won't start

[NormB]

Baby it's COLD outside.

Have freeze plug heater. Couple of Optima batteries, little gray Power Distribution box and monitor

says both batteries are fine. Put 'em on charger and green light on charger came on in about 1/2 hour.

Turn key, no wait light (block heater's been on a few hours), ignition - clicketa-clicketa, no turn over.

Happened yesterday AM but cranked right up after two clicketa cycles (key on, key off, key on, key off - two cycles).

This AM - nada. Just clicketa-clicketa-clicketa-clicketa pause, repeat, take the Tacoma on errands instead.


To MY ear, it sounds like a relay under the dash - PCB? (latest, greatest model, about 8 months since installation), maybe solenoid's not engaging in starter, like it's sticking (isn't there some kind of lube in there that might have hardened up over time and at 9 degrees?).

Just guessing.

Of course, I'll go to the troubleshooting manuals, just racking my brain out loud and inquiring within the steelsoldiers brain trust first.

Thanks in advance.

Norm

 

[Dock Rocker]

I would pull the batteries and load test them before I went to far with the trouble shooting. A charger can say it’s charged but if it’s got a dead cell a load test will reveal that.

Plus optimas are junk these days. Also check and make sure your battery connections are good.


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[NormB]

Thanks. That thought HAD crossed my mind. The logistics of getting them out and off to a place to get tested ran up against an errand and chore list that left the truck out in the cold, so to speak.

 

[Dock Rocker]

One other thing. Check the neutral Safety switch and make sure it’s in neutral. Both of those got me in the past.


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[snowtrac nome]

Check natural start switch, than cross s and t terminals see it the engine cranks. If so the likely problem is in the PCB.

 

[DatGuyC]

We don't live very far apart and mines had no trouble starting in these temps and I dont have a block warmer. It takes a couple extra cranks and there is some smoke, but it always catches.

 

[Lionel]

Hey Norm. Yeah, we are at 14 degrees a bit north of you, and my 6.5's crank and start fine with no block warmer. I'm quite amazed actually. Other than a bit more initial clattering, all normal. Hope its just a bad battery for you..

 

[Action]

You can hit the starter solenoid with a hammer if you think it is rusted up.

 

[NormB]

Check natural start switch, than cross s and t terminals see it the engine cranks. If so the likely problem is in the PCB.

Engine WAS starting w/cold, just didn’t like all the rattling/banging/crashing, figure what’s a couple hours of heat going to hurt, and the heater blows warm(er) air faster.


1 - Neutral start switch. I know where it lives, and where it’s wired (I recently removed, disassembled, lubed, reinstalled shifter ASSY w/ new rubber, switch has worked so far, just wish I’d put in the backup light switch while I had everything out, gonna be a bear to do without removing everything - but I used rivnuts for the shifter/floor), you mean bypass it or move shifter back and forth a few times to see if it’ll catch?

2- I have some spare batteries, figure on jumping if creative wiring checking/cleaning doesn’t do the trick.

3 - I did bang on the solenoid a bit with the butt end of a hammer - no joy.

Advance auto (2 miles away) will check batteries and if one/both are t*ts up, they back up Optima’s warranty. I’ll just use the smaller tractor batteries (680 CCA types) while awaiting delivery.

And, since I haven’t yet delved into the manual(s), what in the sam hill is “s and t terminals” and where do I find them?

I admit I had a somewhat misspent youth, but hotwiring cars wasn’t part of the curriculum.

Thanks, all.

 

[Action]

In front of the shifter is the STE-ICE terminal. Unscrew the cap. All of the holes are lettered. You can just use a paper clip to connect the 2 letters. That will engage the starter. This can be used to eliminate some parts of the start system when troubleshooting.

 

[papakb]

Take a good look at all of your battery cables and make sure you don't have a loose or corroded connection somewhere. That connection in the transmission tunnel gets a lot of crap and corrosion especially in cold areas like Maryland. That would explain why your batteries look good but won't crank the truck. Your PCB isn't going to cause the starter to clackity-clack but it will clunk when the start switch is first turned on.

 

[snowtrac nome]

In front of the shifter is the STE-ICE terminal. Unscrew the cap. All of the holes are lettered. You can just use a paper clip to connect the 2 letters. That will engage the starter. This can be used to eliminate some parts of the start system when troubleshooting.

Yes correct, I learned this as a young private while studding the wiring diagram.The s and t termanals go straight to the starter solenoid, they bypass the starter relay in the pcb, and the neutral start switch on the transmission. Now this was back in the late 80's when I worked on the early model 998's with driveline brakes, I saw very few bad neutral safety switch problems but saw a lot of pcb issues that were the same as you describe. Later in Iraq I saw no starter issues with updated control boxes but a lot of glow plug issues.

 

[NormB]

In front of the shifter is the STE-ICE terminal. Unscrew the cap. All of the holes are lettered. You can just use a paper clip to connect the 2 letters. That will engage the starter. This can be used to eliminate some parts of the start system when troubleshooting.

I recall several batteries dying like this in the past, digging through the abandoned car lot on post for a battery that wasn’t frozen and would hold a charge. If these were Toyota batteries I’d’ve immediately thought one/both were toast. Haven’t had one last over two years yet. Now GM’s Delcos, had an HHR with a NINE year old battery in it that gave out days before we traded it in.

Anyway, I‘ll give this a shot before doing anything else in the morning.

Truck‘s on the driveway on a slope just short of my garage or I‘d roll it in where I can work in the heat (it‘s about 11 degrees F outside right now soon to be 5).

I‘ll keep you posted.

Thanks again.

 

[Action]

If you do the paperclip thing, make sure it is in P or N and your foot is on the brake.

 

[papakb]

There are a number of battery warmers out there made specifically for auto and truck batteries that plug into 110 volt sockets. There's even one that's a standard GM OEM part:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FE7IIS/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B000FE7IIS&linkCode=as2&tag=bguidelink-20&linkId=NVJD2572IZYIGQRP

For those of you who live in cold climates I would think they'd be a necessity. Here in Ca where it rarely gets down to the 30s you don't see them very often.

 

[NormB]

1 - interestingly, positive terminals were loose. clamps and cable bolts. Pretty weird. Ground terminals solid. Went over all connections, even cinched up nuts on solenoid a bit. Cleaned terminals - naphtha, acetone - wire brushed, reassembled.

No joy.

2 - Paperclip trick does same clicketa-clicketa.

MUCH joy. PCB okay (probably). But doesn’t turn over.

3 - carried spare battery upstairs, jumped rear battery. Nada but clicketa-clicketa-crap.

4 - Noticed arbitrary voltage meter was deep in the red (charger says batteries are fine) until I jumped FRONT battery. VM went to positive and VOILA! Started right up.

Someone mentioned “load testing.” If that’s not proof of failure under load testing, I don’t know what is, but I’m sure Amazon will want a printout or something from NAPA or Advance auto.

Pulled truck into garage so’s I can get dragon propane heater running for an hour or two. Neuropathy plus cold equals I’m too old for this...

Thanks again. More to come.

 

[dilvoy]

You can buy a load tester like the one pictured for about twenty bucks. You will use it for the rest of your life.

 

[frank8003]

Engine WAS starting w/cold, just didn’t like all the rattling/banging/crashing, figure what’s a couple hours of heat going to hurt, and the heater blows warm(er) air faster.
1 - Neutral start switch. I know where it lives, and where it’s wired (I recently removed, disassembled, lubed, reinstalled shifter ASSY w/ new rubber, switch has worked so far, just wish I’d put in the backup light switch while I had everything out, gonna be a bear to do without removing everything - but I used rivnuts for the shifter/floor), you mean bypass it or move shifter back and forth a few times to see if it’ll catch?

2- I have some spare batteries, figure on jumping if creative wiring checking/cleaning doesn’t do the trick.

3 - I did bang on the solenoid a bit with the butt end of a hammer - no joy.

Advance auto (2 miles away) will check batteries and if one/both are t*ts up, they back up Optima’s warranty. I’ll just use the smaller tractor batteries (680 CCA types) while awaiting delivery.

And, since I haven’t yet delved into the manual(s), what in the sam hill is “s and t terminals” and where do I find them?

I admit I had a somewhat misspent youth, but hotwiring cars wasn’t part of the curriculum.
Thanks, all.

oops, "And, since I haven’t yet delved into the manual(s), what in the sam hill is “s and t terminals” and where do I find them?" oops

 

[NormB]

You can buy a load tester like the one pictured for about twenty bucks. You will use it for the rest of your life.

Done. Don't know why I hadn't thought of buying one of those years ago.

Thanks.

 

[NormB]

oops, "And, since I haven’t yet delved into the manual(s), what in the sam hill is “s and t terminals” and where do I find them?" oops

Well, I had a fair idea of how to go about it, and the hive mind was helpful and kind.


Yeah, one battery's toast. Replaced it with a somewhat smaller battery and truck cranks right up.

Called Amazon, told 'em battery's dead, they refunded the money. Don't want battery back. "Hazardous material."

Now if I can just get my local guy to take it when I order a new one...