I have problems with my starting system. You know the one, that famous CLICK! I have replaced the contacts and even made sure that they are level and make contact with the plunger surface. Still the problem persists.
I have performed the continuity test (with & w/o 12volts applied) on the starter relay. This test verified, according to the Toyota manual, that the relay is OK. I have over 13 volts battery voltage at the battery, relay and at the starter. Now, the interesting thing is this, my ignition key is severely worn but it only turns the ignition switch tumbler, full of contacts, right? The click I hear is at the starter relay and no sound coming from the starter solenoid when this happens. Something else is funny, at one point while investigating the ignition switch, I sprayed the contacts w/ contact cleaner and I no problem for quite sometime. Another thing is that this was happening only in the mornings after the vehicle had sat overnight. But it did not happen all the time. It was sporadic. Now the last couple of days it is more often than not. Days have been hotter. Should this matter?
This has even happened with new starter installed, so I returned the starter. I am lost, can’t think of anything else to do. Can you make any suggestions? Can the Hot-Shot starter relay kit be utilized even though I have a factory installed starter relay?
How would bypassing the original relay affect the system and would it foul up the ECU? Thank you for your time. I would appreciate your suggestions.
Yours truly, Gordon Carpenter
--
Hi Gordon;
I think you will find all the answers at the bottom of my starter repair page. In short, the problem is the way Toyota wired the starter relay (in the vehicles that even had a starter relay). While there is a relay that is turned on by the ignition switch start contacts, the power that the relay sends to the starter solenoid comes through the very same ignition switch contacts. So, the relay does nothing to relieve the load on the ignition switch. For a few repair and upgrade options (one of which you referenced), see:
http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/CheapTricks/Starter.shtml#OtherOptions
~~
Roger