My 90 4runner SR5 was having problems starting so i replaced the starter and it about a day later it wouldn't start again, but i thought it was a fluke, because 5 minutes later it started and i haven't had any problems. Now it's 4 months later and it's started doing the same thing. Everything on the dash is on, but you turn the key and nothing. I've seen a lot of people mention the soleniod contacts, but that shouldn't be a problem with a new starter right? Any help is apprecaited, because i'm about to lose it.

Did you install a new starter or a rebuilt one? No guarantee they replaced bad contacts in a rebuilt starter. Those starters can bench fine, but have bad contacts.

no idea, i got it from Autozone so i would assume it's a rebuilt unit.

http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=166530

Try this link, this is a known problem, and more than likely your old starter was just fine and did not need to be replaced. Good luck!

so why does letting it sit for x amount of time make it work all of the sudden. One time i let it sit for like 5 minutes and it work and another time it had to sit almost 3 days before it worked.

I don't think anyone knows for sure. Electical contacts can be unpredictable.

Hitting the solenoid with a wrench or a small hammer will normally unstick them.

I Post A Similiar Problem On My 1990 Last Summer. I Changed Starter, Coil, Dist Cap, Battery Cables, Had Dealer Troubleshoot, Etc. After $500. And It Still Would Randomly Not Do Anything When The Key Was Turned To Start. Found A Tech Site On The www; Installed A "hot Shot #30202 Starter Relay Kit" That I Found On "www.4crawler.com/4x4/cheaptricks/starter.shtml". Cost About $40. . My Son-in-law Installed In An Hour. It Takes The Load Off Ignition Switch And Lets The Relay Do The Work. 12 Days Later, It Has Started Every Time Since. I Wasted $500., Hope This Prevents You From Doing The Same. Vr, Mike

That fix is only useful if there is no relay in the starter circuit. If there already is a relay in the starter circuit, that gadget is redundant.

Since it helped you, you probably had a bad contact in your starter switch.

The link you need is:
http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/CheapTricks/Starter.shtml

I Post A Similiar Problem On My 1990 Last Summer. I Changed Starter, Coil, Dist Cap, Battery Cables, Had Dealer Troubleshoot, Etc. After $500. And It Still Would Randomly Not Do Anything When The Key Was Turned To Start. Found A Tech Site On The www; Installed A "hot Shot #30202 Starter Relay Kit" That I Found On "www.4crawler.com/4x4/cheaptricks/starter.shtml". Cost About $40. . My Son-in-law Installed In An Hour. It Takes The Load Off Ignition Switch And Lets The Relay Do The Work. 12 Days Later, It Has Started Every Time Since. I Wasted $500., Hope This Prevents You From Doing The Same. Vr, Mike

That fix is only useful if there is no relay in the starter circuit. If there already is a relay in the starter circuit, that gadget is redundant.

Since it helped you, you probably had a bad contact in your starter switch.

The link you need is:
http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/CheapTricks/Starter.shtml


I had the exact same problem with my 1991 4runner, after replacing 2 starters and being stranded at the worse times I finally replaced the ignition switch and never had a problem since. This is the website that helped me http://www.4x4wire.com/toyota/maintenance/ignition_switch/

Hey, look at what I posted (magnor), IT WILL FIX YOUR PROBLEM, my 1990 ran ok, then would intermittantly not start at random times. Stop wasting time/ money, my fix was cheap, less than one hour to install. Sometimes these "experts" are guessing!

Hey, look at what I posted (magnor), IT WILL FIX YOUR PROBLEM, my 1990 ran ok, then would intermittantly not start at random times. Stop wasting time/ money, my fix was cheap, less than one hour to install. Sometimes these "experts" are guessing!

There are no guarantees. Don't say something will surely solve someone's problem unless you have the truck in front of you. You, as well as we, are guessing. Don't make yourself out to be an expert also. There are no experts (including myself) when it comes to troubleshooting electrical problems. You have only 12 days (plus some) of experience with the result of installing this relay. An intermittent probem can stay away for much longer than that and then reappear. It took 4 months for krc333's problem to reappear after he replaced the starter.

No one suggested that he should ignore your post. Also, I wasn't being critical of your suggestion in my above post. I was pointing out a fact, that when a truck already has a starter relay, your suggestion of installing a starter relay is probably useless. This was for the benefit of others who read this thread with starting problems and already have a starter relay.

Please note that the original poster in this thread has a good chance of finding your suggestion useful, but don't bet your house on it. There are other possibilities besides what cured your problem. He has only tried replacing the starter - nothing else. Since starter contacts are a known and common problem, and cost next to nothing to replace, it is the obvious place to start.

I have a son with 91 toyota 4 runner and we have replaced everything, I am just wondering it the starter relay totally fixed the problem, I was wondering if your vehicle was worse when it was really hot?