1JZ-Intermittently Won't Start

[JeffTheJerk]

Every other day or so I turn the key and the dash will light up but it wont crank or anything. I will repeat a few times an then it fires up just like normal. Recently it is not even lighting up the dash though...Any ideas what the issue may be? Car runs like a champ besides smoking turbos which still build boost fine...

 

[k20maniac]

hmmm... we need more details as to what is "does" when it "doesn't" start. As in does it click, does it turn over but not fire, does it not turn over at all... give us a few more clues to try and help you out.

 

[seoul4korea]

is it cold out side? how old is your battery?

 

[MightyAl]

I am curious to see if anyone has a solution to this. My friend's 1jz does this and I have never had an electrical issue stump me this badly. Turn the ignition key and nothing. Turn it back and forth a few times and it will start. New battery, 3 new starters, checked all the connections on the positive cable and have made sure all negative grounds are good and have gone through all of them in the car. Still does the same thing.

I haven't gone through the ignition switch yet which just came to me. Maybe writing it out has helped me to troubleshoot. Hopefully I can get to the car in the next 6 months and check out the ignitione switch and connections.

 

[te72]

I've seen this on many a 1j swap, and even Mk4's a time or two. Never did really figure out what the cause was, happens to me on occasion, but it's only hesitant to start if it's been driven long enough to get things nice and warmed up. Same thing here though, cycle the key a few times, and make sure to hold it if it does decide to start, and it fires up fine.

 

[IBoughtASupra]

EDIT:

I would vote starter connection. A lot of people forget the ground to the engine block and that can cause all kinds of crazy stuff. A chassis ground alone isn't enough.

Take the starter to be checked out and rebuild if needed.

I spoke to Ian about this and he told me Toyota did a bunch of crazy stuff on the starting system. You can check to see if you get a singal at the pin for the starter. If you do get a signal, it's most likely the starter connections, grounds, battery or the starter itself.

Brad, we had that issue on a car where cycling the key would work but after servicing the starter, we saw the contacts were bad.

 

[MightyAl]

It occurs to my friend's car on dead cold start ups and plus he has a sumped tank with an A1000 fuel pump. The problem I have seen has not been a heat soak problem.

 

[seoul4korea]

From my understanding (When I was having an issue like this) was due to the starter contacts with in the starter motor (At least thats what the Toyota tech told me, he also stated that Toyota starters really don't go bad and it's the contacts that die out)

But that really depends on what kind of problem it is, If you turn the key and the lights dim that means it's battery related (For the OP)

My train of though for the OP is maybe the battery is getting old and he just doesn't have enough amps to turn it over. As for the rest of you contacts where what I was told could be the issue. I haven't really had any starting problems that lasted so I could be wrong.

 

[k20maniac]

what i did when my swap did this was the relay mod on the starter and gave the starter 12v from the battery and just used the original wire as signal. My car has never not-started again!

 

[BOHO]

I had trouble with the "same" no start issue about 3 months after I finished my swap. It would randomly die going down the road. It was a bad ECU ground... just FYI.

 

[bmam]

what i did when my swap did this was the relay mod on the starter and gave the starter 12v from the battery and just used the original wire as signal. My car has never not-started again!

k20maniac hit the nail on the head. A buddy of mine help me install a relay mod to get 1jz swap running. I believe there is a write up on the forum on this.

 

[IBoughtASupra]

A lot of people are confusing start and crank.

OP has a crank issue, meaning the starter is not engaging to turn the motor.

 

[seoul4korea]

A lot of people are confusing start and crank.

OP has a crank issue, meaning the starter is not engaging to turn the motor.

Then why would he state this, "Recently it is not even lighting up the dash though...Any ideas what the issue may be? "

That to me sounds like more then a cranking or starting issue. But thats just a guess, what are your thoughts?

 

[IBoughtASupra]

Then why would he state this, "Recently it is not even lighting up the dash though...Any ideas what the issue may be? "

That to me sounds like more then a cranking or starting issue. But thats just a guess, what are your thoughts?

Cranking issue as in not cranking, this meaning all kinds of issues. Battery, connections and wiring.

No dash lights, no power, no cranking.

 

[seoul4korea]

Cranking issue as in not cranking, this meaning all kinds of issues. Battery, connections and wiring.

No dash lights, no power, no cranking.

oh ok got you, so we're on the same page lol.

 

[JeffTheJerk]

Hey thanks for all the replies everyone, I work late so this is my time on the web lol It has only had absolutely no power on like 3 times and I messed with the battery terminals and it would start up afterwards. The other problem occurs more often. I will turn the key to the on position to let the fuel pump prime and the dash and everything lights up just like it should, then I go to start it and there is nothing lights dont dim everything stays lit it just doesnt crank or even try to turn over. I can retry a few times and then bam starts up like a champ like nothing was ever wrong.

 

[IBoughtASupra]

Replace the terminals and wires if need.

 

[seoul4korea]

Replace the terminals and wires if need.

what he said and test your battery. Have a look at your dome lights when that happens, sometimes u have enough for your gauge cluster to stay lit and not enough to crank the car. if you dont have enough battery life yu should see your dome lights dim

 

[JeffTheJerk]

what he said and test your battery. Have a look at your dome lights when that happens, sometimes u have enough for your gauge cluster to stay lit and not enough to crank the car. if you dont have enough battery life yu should see your dome lights dim

LoL Ummm I dont have a dome light lol Hasn't worked since I got the car

 

[seoul4korea]

LoL Ummm I dont have a dome light lol Hasn't worked since I got the car

Do you hear the gong from having your doors open? That means your door triggers might be bad, I just changed mine actually