Car Wont Start

I searched the forums for this and tried everything I came across but have had no luck. Basically the car wont start randomly, instead the starter relay will click but the starter wont engage. The starter, battery and battery wires are all new. Its my understanding that it might be the factory alarm causing this however I dont have any remotes to the alarm and I also cant find any wiring diagrams that show where the stock alarm system is.

Does anyone have any information on this? Does anyone know where the starter kill relay is located? Ive taken the car 4 times to toyota and they cant find it or figure out how to fix the problem.

Thanks

Whoops, my car is a 1986.5 Supra NA

If you have a kill relay, you won't get a click or any response from the starter circuit. That's most likely not your problem.

You have either bad electrical connections in the starter high-current circuit or bad solenoid contacts, which can be replaced real cheap and are a common problem with Toyota starters.

http://www.off-road.com/toyota/tech/starter/

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

Even though you have a new starter, it is probably a rebuilt starter and there is a good chance the rebuilders didn't replace the contacts. Starters with bad solenoid contacts can bench fine. The rebuilders can assume the starter works and resell it with a clean-up and new bearings.

This is all BS if you bought a new starter for big bucks from Toyota. Most people don't.

Yeah that does make sense. If I hear the starter relay clicking then there wouldnt be a starter kill. I will admit I am not a mechanic; im actually a computer programmer so you will have to forgive my dumb questions as I continue to learn.

Im able to start the car just fine but connecting a wire to the stater cylinoid(sp?) and touching the other end to the battery. Does this tell you anything? Does this mean I should still consider replacing the starter contacts? I know that the small wire that goes to the starter cylinoid had melted a bit, I replaced the section that melted but it didnt fix the problem.

Ill try my best to figure this out because I would really like to avoid running a push button starter switch to my dash if it isnt necissary.

Thanks

There is no way of being sure it is the contacts until you see them. No matter what you do to the starter circuit, there is going to be an intermittent starting problem with bad contacts.

If you are not starting - try rapping on the starter with a small hammer or something. That will free them up and should temporarily cure the problem. This is not a fix though.

Well I figured out that it only happends after I lock my doors with the key. Then if the leave the neg. battery cable off for about 15 mins it will start again.

I disconnected some wires attached to the lock cylinders and since then its started every single time.

That's bizarre...
Good job on the troubleshooting

I used to have the same problem you had. My car would sit for weeks. Untill one day I went searching on this forums for options on tring to figure out the problems. I did figure out that there is no factory alarm, (to my knowledge,) installed on my 85 supra. I tried the door lock thing by holding the key in the locked position for 30 sec. I tried slamming the doors, hood and hatch. I wasn't about to try replacing the some contacts on the starter and the door locks. So I did this, by the way I have an automatic, I put the key in the ignition, held it in the starting position, and rammed the gear shifter into park. Then BAM it started. Ever since thin I have not had the slightest problem. Shoot I have even tried to make it "diable."
For all you automatic users out there, MAKE SURE YOUR CAR IS IN PARK, if you are having this problem. I think this was my problem a couple of times. On my supra I can turn the car off and pull the key out while is is in drive. I can also put the car in drive without applying the break. I hope this gives some of you insight on what may be a problem with your car.
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