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On 4 Jul 2006 08:26:53 -0700, [email]roger61611@yahoo.com[/email] wrote:
[color=blue]
>I have an '88 4runner. Went out to start it yesterday and all I got
>was a click sound that seemed to come from the right side of the engine
>compartment. The radio, rear window, and the dreadful key-buzzer sound
>all work fine. Battery looks old but has clean posts. SO I tried
>starting it some more and just got the "click". Drive or neutral, no
>difference.
>
>Borrowed a car and ran some errands, then came back and thought I'd try
>to move the 4runner to where I could jump it. These things are heavy
>and it's sitting on uneven ground so after a few rocks back and forth I
>gave up.
>
>Then I tried to start it again and it turned over very weakly and then
>started right up !
>
>So...it doesn't make any sense that this is a battery problem, a dead
>battery does not come to life. Any ideas ?
>
>Thank you. (Sorry for the cross-post, it's out of desperation)[/color]

It's most likely the power contacts in the starter solenoid - where
the battery cable bolts to the back of the starter. Easily
replaceable, the parts are under $10, and your local Dealer Parts
Counter /should/ stock them. Whether they /do/ is another thing...

Any good starter shop stocks the contacts and can swap them out for
you on the bench for a nominal fee. Take the whole starter motor in,
and they can check it over for other potential problems like worn
bearings or brushes - if it doesn't need rebuilding, don't.

And till then, just keep trying. Click. Click. Start.

But check the battery cables and posts for clean and tight
connections first. A battery going bad can cause odd stuff, too, but
this sounds much more like the contacts.

How old is the battery? Batteries are perishable just from elapsed
time, if it's out of warranty, it can develop an open cell and go dead
suddenly at any time. And if it goes open and makes an arc across the
cracked spot inside, it can make a hydrogen explosion and pop the top
off the battery.

--<< Bruce >>--

--
Bruce L. Bergman, Woodland Hills (Los Angeles) CA - Desktop
Electrician for Westend Electric - CA726700
5737 Kanan Rd. #359, Agoura CA 91301 (818) 889-9545
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