Out of ideas: The dreaded Toyota "Click" when attempting to start.

[1988SupraDreams]

I've had my 1988 MKIII Supra for three years now, when I got it (it was NA/Auto) it had this annoying problem. When I would turn the key I would hear the ECU click, and when I would turn back from the start position the starter would click. Back when I first got the car I knew nothing of automobiles, so I just dealt with it because it would start 1 time out of 10.

Years have passed and a new engine and tranny have found their way into the engine bay (Turbo 5spd). I just recently rebuilt the bottom end, and am tired of roll starting my supra. I have replaced the starter, the ignition switch, the battery, and both battery cables. From what I can tell, the wiring looks fine, but when I hook up a remote starter switch to the starter, she starts up every time.

Since my car was an Auto, it had no neutral safety switch, and safety is something I like, so I installed one into the relay in the back of the first connector block by the kick panel. (It wasn't me who installed it, but I know the person who did definetly knew 100% what they were doing.) Also this car had a ghetto alarm spliced into it, so the main power wires for the ignition were cut. I did my best to repair the damage (Matching the colors ) And it will start SOMETIMES. This has been a most annoying problem, and I do not know where to go from here.

Advice, answers, and questions are greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance,
Shawn

 

[suprahero]

Shawn, great write up and description of the problem. I'm not an electrical genius or any other genius for that matter. Does it help when you lock and unlock your doors as if the factory alarm is causing the problem.
Can you hook up a push button start or a throttle switch so that it will start and bypass the electrical problems that it has. I know it won't fix whatever is messed up, but it will start when you need it too. Good luck.

 

[ILikeCarsYesIDo]

It's running again?!

 

[starscream5000]

Hope THIS helps.

 

[1988SupraDreams]

Oh that helps a bunch! I'll roll start my way to work (Napa Auto Parts) right now! Thanks a lot starscream. And yes, shes running again, I rebuilt the bottom end. .010 under on the crank rod and main journals (Did the mains to be safe) and .010 over on the rod and main bearings. The crank was like 100 miles away from spinning the bearings in the first cyl. Lucky I caught it when I did! The rods checked out okay, and the clearances with the new bearings were TIGHT! Tight is better than loose right?

 

[starscream5000]

Tight is only better if it's still withing spec.

Too tight can be just as bad as too loose.

 

[ILikeCarsYesIDo]

Oh that helps a bunch! I'll roll start my way to work (Napa Auto Parts) right now! Thanks a lot starscream. And yes, shes running again, I rebuilt the bottom end. .010 under on the crank rod and main journals (Did the mains to be safe) and .010 over on the rod and main bearings. The crank was like 100 miles away from spinning the bearings in the first cyl. Lucky I caught it when I did! The rods checked out okay, and the clearances with the new bearings were TIGHT! Tight is better than loose right?

Too bad you don't live in Fremont anymore, fool!

 

[figgie]

starts sometimes but not always.

Sounds like the Copper contacts are almost none existant. Though to do it with a new starter. I would definetly check those starter contacts WITHIN the starter.

 

[Jeff Lange]

Probably needs new starter contacts. That's my bet.

Jeff

 

[1988SupraDreams]

I already had the starter apart, and shes brand new inside. No misshapen parts no burn marks no corrosion, nothing. She'll start with a remote starter switch, Wouldn't that point to the wiring?

The bearing clearances were just barely in spec. Those caps were SMOOSHING the plastigauge. I could see how it could be bad especially if the crank took hold of my new bearing cause there wasn't enough clearance.

Thanks for all your advice.
I wish I was still in Fremont, but rent is too much!
ILikeCarsYesIDo which supra do you own? I don't seem to remeber..

Also, I have ANOTHER new starter (I tend to keep an extra everything that goes bad for supras IE: OEM HG) just in case this starting relay mod doesnt work.

 

[hammerhead]

I've had the 100% same problem. The problem is that the wiring is 20 years old, it doesn't push enough power thru anymore. get a regular 4 or 5 prong relay, and hook the starter signal to trip the the relay, then run a dedicated wire from the starter to the battery thru the relay.

Good luck, let me know how it goes.

(sorry didn't check, but what i meant is just the same thing that starscream posted..)

 

[1988SupraDreams]

Did the relay today and took pics, worked like a charm. My starter has NEVER cranked slowly, that was how I knew that it worked. If the battery was even a HAIR low all it would do was click. The battery had been powering Metallica for four hours while I finished swapping my dash and doing the mod.

HIGHLY reccomended

 

[starscream5000]

Glad the link helped

 

[Nick M]

Why is the click dreaded? At least you know exactly where to look.

Get rid of all the useless aftermarket garbage you have.

 

[shaeff]

Yeah, to me, "dreaded" is something that I can't for the life of me figure out. If I know where to look, not so bad.

Well, except seized eccentric bolts... I dreaded those.

 

[7thousandpiecesMGTE]

Wish I had seen this thread 8 years ago when I bought my first NA as a noob.... I took it back to the garage I bought it from and he replaced my starter three times before he gave up. I finally just wired a heavy duty push button and it worked fine, but the relay is a fantastic idea that I should have considered at the time... Good write up.

 

[Quin]

Wired a direct 8 gauge wire from my battery to my starter and another to my engine ground yesterday, along with a 12 gauge wire to the chassis ground and a 12 gauge extension to my other wire going to positive. No more stupid fiddling with wires BS. Will probably add a relay in the future, but I have $0 right now so it's gonna make do as is.

 

[ILikeCarsYesIDo]

How about some pictures for everyone? (By everyone I mean me)

 

[1988SupraDreams]

I posted the pics in the original thread that Starscream posted, the mods haven't approved my post yet. BTW I have no aftermarket BS in my car, the problem was that there WAS. I had to do major repair to the wire harness when I first got the car, so the BS alarm that was in the car cut into the starter circuit. The reason I dreaded it was because I didn't know where to look until Starscream posted that thread. Thanks again Starscream.

 

[Nick M]

Fascinating...