1st gen starter issues?

Hey guys, first timer here! Recently the starter(or what I thought was the starter) went out on my 06 4.7l tundra. When I turned the key it clicked and didn’t turn over. Long story short I replaced the starter and everything was good. A month and a half later, I go to start my truck in the morning and it does the same clicking when I turn the key. I just kept turning the key for a few minutes and it eventually turned over just fine. I just wanna know if there is anything I can check to see why it would be fine one day and then not work, but then decide to work again. Thanks!

 

Battery or battery connections could be bad..

 

This ^^^

 

I’ve looked over the fuses and battery connections and they seem to be good. I purchased a voltmeter and I’m planning on testing the battery. Thank you!

 

Unless you have a bad starter that is possible... Money is on battery or bad connections (clean them wire brush)...

Might want to double check the big + wire coming off the battery that's starter wire... Make sure that is still crimped good.

 

Alrighty will do. That would make sense why it works sometimes.

 

Could be a bunk starter.

Most of the time when the Oe ones “go bad” it’s simply bad contact between the plunger and the contacts.
I always recommend keeping the Toyota starter and first replacing those parts before going for a parts store rebuild.

My 99 Tacoma has the factory original starter to this day (245k). I had to replace the starter contacts at 110k due to intermittent starting issues like you are experiencing.

Google Toyota starter contacts.

 

Op replace the starter..

 

Unfortunately I didn’t get to do much research before I replaced the starter. I bought the starter from autozone an hour after it went out. I was stranded at Walmart and didn’t have time to waste because of work.

 

Have the battery tested also.

 

I’m planning on it. I would much rather buy a battery than go through replacing the starter again. Thanks for all you help!

 

Let us know...

 

Will do

 

Yeah, definitely the best and most economical place to start.

I'm leaning more towards a bad/corroded connection. Its not uncommon and easy to miss when reconnecting the power and grounds.

There's only a couple important ones to check. The battery terminals, the negative to the body. The body to block ground and the starter, typically.

For what its worth, Its always the ground wires when I have similar problems.

Hopefully its something as simple, and cheap, as that.

 

I read the OP. I guess you didn’t.
Op stated he is having the same exact symptoms a month and a half later.

 

I hear ya. I’d have done the same thing in a jam. I should have just said “it sounds like your new starter failed.”

I guess the other guy who quoted me didn’t understand my last post.

 

Check to see if your terminal wires can rotate. I tightened the nut but they still moved. The solution was to get a cap that fit over the post and put the wire back on. After tightened there was no rotation and it fired right up. In my case it was intermittent, but just had my starter replaced so thought it was a bad starter. It was a bad connection turns out.

 

Was the new starter a cheaper aftermarket unit? If you replace the starter again, do it right and get a Denso or OEM unit.

 

After school today I’m going to check everything once again with everything you guys have suggested. I’ll keep you updated. Thank you!

 

I read your post.. hard to rebuild the starter if it's been replaced and at the parts store for the exchange right ...

 

It was a duralast. May be cheap but I don’t really know. Hopefully I won’t have to again.

 

All my post are to the battery /connections not pointing fingers.

 

I have one in my Tacoma for 16 years no problem...

 

That’s crazy but I guess if you take care of it they last. Unfortunately I don’t think the previous owner of my truck took good care of it.

 

Update: I’ve checked my battery, connections, fuses, and then checked them again. I found nothing wrong and I don’t really know where to go from here. I suppose I’ll wait and see if it does it again and go from there. Thanks for all the help.

 

Check the ground wires as well...especially the one by the battery, Make sure the connection is clean and the wire isn't corroded.

 

I wish I could say I haven’t checked them yet but I’ve looked over and cleaned every wire I can.