Tercel wont start

How-to's and repair secrets for your 4WD can be found here. Have a question? Ask it in here!
Post Reply
Trev
Advanced Member
Posts: 64
Joined: Mon Mar 15, 2010 12:24 am
My tercel:: 83 Tercel wagon:)

Tercel wont start

Post by Trev »

I'm so tired of my vehicles not starting. It's so irritating.

Anyway, ran perfect the night before. Put at least 100 miles on it, started it 10 times.

Went to go to work 20 minutes ago and nothing. Doesn't turn over, just turn the key and a slight click (not like a starter click) but a relay and thats it. I checked the fuses and they are good. But still won't turn over. Cleaned the battery terminals and nothing. Even tried to jump it and still nothing. I'm thinking the ignition went out, but I have no idea how to tell.

Any ideas?

Thanks
1999 Dodge Cummins 3500
1983 Toyota Tercel 4wd Wagon
GF's - 1986 Toyota Tercel 2wd Wagon
SethM
Advanced Member
Posts: 97
Joined: Sun May 10, 2009 1:47 pm
My tercel:: '85 4wd SR5
Location: Rhode Island

Re: Tercel wont start

Post by SethM »

I had this happen when I first picked up/purchased my 85 T4WD... in my case the symptoms were: turn the key, no click or perhaps just one but not the clicking sound associated with a bad solenoid. A mechanic in Texas showed me how to have someone else hit the side of the starter while another person (me in this case) turns the key to the full start position. Just keep hitting the starter and eventually, it turns over. Problem was/is a flat spot in the starter. But it takes two people, and I was driving solo back to the east coast. So, I just push started the car whenever it wouldn't turn over (sometimes, seemingly at random, it would turnover). The long-term solution was a new (rebuilt) starter. Your problem may not be the same but try rapping on the starter while someone turns the key to the start position.
User avatar
Petros
Highest Ranking Member
Posts: 11930
Joined: Sun Jan 28, 2007 6:31 pm
My tercel:: '84 Tercel4wd w/extensive mods
Location: Arlington WA USA

Re: Tercel wont start

Post by Petros »

It could be a bad contact in the ign. switch, try spraying some tuner cleaner into the electrical end of the ign. If that helps you should take it apart and clean it and perhaps tweak the contacts a bit so they make a more positive contact.

It could also be a bad engine ground or battery ground, check both ends of all the battery cables, not just at the battery side, and check all the contacts at the ground straps from the engine to the body. It might be a bad starter as noted above, but check all the contacts first, on older cars they tend to get corroded.

BTW, I do not care for the term "turn over" when refering to the engine. It is not precise and I have noticed some people use it to mean something different when I ask exactly what they mean when they say "it won't turn over". Does that mean it does not crank, or it does not start when it is cranking? I get different answers.

Personally I do not want my engine to "turn over", because it means either the mounts have ripped out and the oil pan is up where the valve cover used to be, or the car it self is on its roof with the mounts still in-tacked. Neither is a good situation.
'87 Tercel 4wd SR5 (current engine swap project)
'84 Tercel 4wd (daily driver, with on going mods)
'92 Mazda MPV 4wd (wife's daily driver)
'85 Tercel 4wd DLX auto(daughter's daily driver)
'01 Honda Civic (other daughter's daily driver)
4wdchico
Highest Ranking Member
Posts: 563
Joined: Sun Mar 30, 2008 6:51 pm
My tercel:: 1985 tercel 4wd
Location: Chico, Norcal

Re: Tercel wont start

Post by 4wdchico »

Petros wrote:
Personally I do not want my engine to "turn over", because it means either the mounts have ripped out and the oil pan is up where the valve cover used to be, or the car it self is on its roof with the mounts still in-tacked. Neither is a good situation.
Thanks for that, I needed a laugh.
Trev
Advanced Member
Posts: 64
Joined: Mon Mar 15, 2010 12:24 am
My tercel:: 83 Tercel wagon:)

Re: Tercel wont start

Post by Trev »

It wont 'turn over' as in - Starter does not engage the flywheel and the starter doesn't spin (or rotate for you :lol: )

I don't know what idiot would use "not turning over" as saying that the engine is rotating just not starting but that is just how I say it.

I'll take a look at it some more and see what I can come up with. Thanks
1999 Dodge Cummins 3500
1983 Toyota Tercel 4wd Wagon
GF's - 1986 Toyota Tercel 2wd Wagon
Trev
Advanced Member
Posts: 64
Joined: Mon Mar 15, 2010 12:24 am
My tercel:: 83 Tercel wagon:)

Re: Tercel wont start

Post by Trev »

I knew it was ignition related. Same thing happened to my brothers truck and mine (Toyota's) when I installed the starter. The wire that come to the solenoid on the starter was extremely greasy and dirty. Used some brake kleen and fired right up.

Only took about 2 minutes :D
1999 Dodge Cummins 3500
1983 Toyota Tercel 4wd Wagon
GF's - 1986 Toyota Tercel 2wd Wagon
User avatar
Petros
Highest Ranking Member
Posts: 11930
Joined: Sun Jan 28, 2007 6:31 pm
My tercel:: '84 Tercel4wd w/extensive mods
Location: Arlington WA USA

Re: Tercel wont start

Post by Petros »

So you fixed it! Good for you.

You might pull that connector off and pinch is slightly with pliers so it makes better contact. I have found this is a common issue with most of the older cars I have owned. I guess the vibration, along with removing it and reconnecting it several times over its life works the contacts so it is not longer reliable. A little pinch in the pliers to tighten it ususlly makes it good for another 100,000 miles.
'87 Tercel 4wd SR5 (current engine swap project)
'84 Tercel 4wd (daily driver, with on going mods)
'92 Mazda MPV 4wd (wife's daily driver)
'85 Tercel 4wd DLX auto(daughter's daily driver)
'01 Honda Civic (other daughter's daily driver)
JackWagon
Advanced Member
Posts: 65
Joined: Tue Mar 31, 2015 10:48 am
My tercel:: 1986 Toyota Tercel Wagon FWD

Re: Tercel wont start

Post by JackWagon »

Trev wrote:I knew it was ignition related. Same thing happened to my brothers truck and mine (Toyota's) when I installed the starter. The wire that come to the solenoid on the starter was extremely greasy and dirty. Used some brake kleen and fired right up.

Only took about 2 minutes :D
Big thanks are due! I got a little too ambitious with my engine cleaner and gunked up the connection to the starter. This morning I heard just a click when I turned the key. I read this thread and went on the hunt for my spray can of CRC electrical cleaner which is as close to brake clean as I've got. Luckily I found it, sprayed off the connection and brushed it a bit. Lots of gunk probably trapped from rinsing. Started up!! Thanks again!
Post Reply