Click-No-Start (Starter, Ignition Switch and other Culprits)

[eb4973]

The starter has 2 wires going to it, the large battery cable & the smaller trigger wire. If you got a mechanic's remote starter switch, all you have to do is unhook the small wire (pulls right out of the starter), put one clip of the switch to the vacant starter terminal, and put the other clip to the stud for the big wire. Now when you push the button the starter will crank. If the starter goes "click" then the problem is in the starter. If it cranks, then the problem is in the trigger wire circuit. If you mess around with this, I'd recommend not making it permanent. Switches like this are helpful for troubleshooting, but not as a permanent solution. Bad things can happen if the vehicle is started accidentally at a bad time. Vehicle could also be started in gear.......with you underneath it......stuff like that can ruin your whole day.

Three weeks later, when I got the one click sound again, I couldn't believe that the starter had died again. I kept turning the key, and after about the 5th time, it started right up, no problem, and I moved parking spaces. The next morning, however, we had the same problem. Click, click, click, start. The lights never dimmed, and when it finally did crank it seemed to have full power. So all that day we were able to start it after turning the key several times. The next morning, however, we tried many more times than usual, but couldn't get it to start. So I got under the car and removed the small ignition wire with the plastic clip, and touched that connection on the starter to the big command terminal on the starter. Doing that, it has started every single time, no problem. The trouble is, I don't like to have to crawl under the van every time it won't start, in a grocery store parking lot or after getting gas.

Someone posted this for a 91 Previa. would this work on my 1988 van. I'm just trying to get it home to be able to diagnose the starter problem.

Thanks

[timsrv]

Three weeks later, when I got the one click sound again, I couldn't believe that the starter had died again. I kept turning the key, and after about the 5th time, it started right up, no problem, and I moved parking spaces. The next morning, however, we had the same problem. Click, click, click, start. The lights never dimmed, and when it finally did crank it seemed to have full power. So all that day we were able to start it after turning the key several times. The next morning, however, we tried many more times than usual, but couldn't get it to start. So I got under the car and removed the small ignition wire with the plastic clip, and touched that connection on the starter to the big command terminal on the starter. Doing that, it has started every single time, no problem. The trouble is, I don't like to have to crawl under the van every time it won't start, in a grocery store parking lot or after getting gas.

Someone posted this for a 91 Previa. would this work on my 1988 van. I'm just trying to get it home to be able to diagnose the starter problem.

Thanks

Based on what you said it sounds as if the starter itself is fine. Probably bad/failing contacts in the ignition switch or perhaps a bad connection somewhere else in the trigger circuit. With intermittent issues, the problem areas typically drop (lose) voltage while under load. The starter solenoid needs at least 10.5 volts to reliably engage, so if this circuit loses any more than 3 volts, the starter will become unreliable or not function at all.

I was also experiencing this same issue on my 86, but every time I started troubleshooting, the problem would remedy itself (sometimes these issues will vary based on conditions or other factors & can be hard to track down). Since I knew the circuit was functional (just weak), and since voltage loss is directly proportional to load, I took the load off the circuit by installing a Bosch relay. Now all the trigger circuit needs to do is activate the coil of the relay (very small load) and the relay supplies power to the starter directly from the battery. I can't guaranty this will work for you, but it completely solved my problem. Before the relay mod this was happening about once a week. I installed the relay over a year/15k miles ago and the problem hasn't come back since. Good luck. Tim

[eb4973]

Based on what you said it sounds as if the starter itself is fine. Probably bad/failing contacts in the ignition switch or perhaps a bad connection somewhere else in the trigger circuit. With intermittent issues, the problem areas typically drop (lose) voltage while under load. The starter solenoid needs at least 10.5 volts to reliably engage, so if this circuit loses any more than 3 volts, the starter will become unreliable or not function at all.

I was also experiencing this same issue on my 86, but every time I started troubleshooting, the problem would remedy itself (sometimes these issues will vary based on conditions or other factors & can be hard to track down). Since I knew the circuit was functional (just weak), and since voltage loss is directly proportional to load, I took the load off the circuit by installing a Bosch relay. Now all the trigger circuit needs to do is activate the coil of the relay (very small load) and the relay supplies power to the starter directly from the battery. I can't guaranty this will work for you, but it completely solved my problem. Before the relay mod this was happening about once a week. I installed the relay over a year/15k miles ago and the problem hasn't come back since. Good luck. Tim

Hi Tim,

I guess I'm not asking the question in the best way. My van is stuck down the road. It is the starter issue with the single click sound when trying to turn it over. The first thing I want to do is get it home. I't may or may not start when I get back to where I left it. So I saw this information about a Previa that was started by:

"So I got under the car and removed the small ignition wire with the plastic clip, and touched that connection on the starter to the big command terminal on the starter."

I'm wondering if I can start my van this way if it wont turn over with the key. I'm just trying to get it home so I can fix it. I have no money so this is an emergency fix on the fly. I have another started that was pulled from an 84. I think if my starter is beat I can replace it with this one.

Thanks for your time, eb4973

[timsrv]

So all that day we were able to start it after turning the key several times. The next morning, however, we tried many more times than usual, but couldn't get it to start. So I got under the car and removed the small ignition wire with the plastic clip, and touched that connection on the starter to the big command terminal on the starter. Doing that, it has started every single time, no problem. The trouble is, I don't like to have to crawl under the van every time it won't start, in a grocery store parking lot or after getting gas.

So I'm confused.........if you are saying it used to start this way but now it doesn't , then you may have 2 problems now. If applying power directly to the trigger wire stopped working, assuming all your cable connections/terminals are clean and tight, then now it has also become a problem with the starter........tough luck. So after you repair/replace your starter you'll still have the trigger wire circuit issue to deal with. Good luck. Tim

PS: In re-reading I can't help but think I still don't get it. Are you talking about 2 different vehicles? If you're talking about a Previa, it doesn't matter. Although physically non-interchangeable, Previa and van starters function the same (same rules apply to both). If the jumper wire trick and/or banging on the housing doesn't work, then you'll either be pulling your starter in a parking lot or you'll be having it towed.