Toyota Repair: 1990 Toyota 4Runner Starting Problems, toyota 4runner, coold

Question
Ted,

I own a 1990 Toyota 4Runner, 130K miles, 4wd, automatic, V6 engine.  I'm having my fourth new factory starter installed tomorrow since Aug 03 and I feel something just doesn't add up.  My first started lasted the first 120K miles and I expected the first new one to last me the next 120K miles.

What makes this so fustrating is that there's no pattern why sometimes it starts and other times it doesn't.  It doesn't matter the time of day or weather conditions although lately it when the engine is hot that it doesn't start.  When it doesn't start, I either hear a single clicking noise, which sounds like it coming from behind the glove box, each time I turn the ignition or I hear the bendix turning inside the starter.  Most of the time, it was the clicking noise that I was hearing.  After many attempts of trying to start it, I would let it sit and cool down, 15, 30 minutes, sometimes longer and it would start as though there was nothing wrong.

The truck was working great leading up to Jul 03 when it began to not start at all especially when the motor was hot.  When I tried to start it, I would hear the single clicking noise again coming from behind the glove box.  Sometimes after several attempts it would start, other times it would take many more tries or a coold down period.  I took it to the local dealership and they told me that it needed a new starter.  Starter #1 was installed and the vehicle started each time when the engine was hot or cold the next several months.  Vehicle had @ 120K miles at that time.

Mar 04, intermitten starting problem resurfaced however this time it would not start when the engine was hot or cold.  Occasionally the vehicle would not start first thing in the morning in my garage.  I would only get a clicking noise with each turn of the iginition.  Contacted the dealership to discuss the situation and they request I disengage the theft deterent iginition kill switch and see what happens which I did.  That obviously didn't remedy my problem.  I was later told to check the battery which was purchased 3/03.  Battery  was checked and determined to be fully charged.

Return to the dealership 7/04, 126K miles, and complained about my starting issues.  Another diagnostics test later, was told the starter was bad and needed to be replaced.  In goes starter #2.  Thought my problems were over however shortly after #2 was installed, began to have the same intermittent starting issues.

A friend of mine told me to strike the starter when that happens and the truck may start.  He was right but this was a two person operation.  Only when one person was stiking the starter and the other turning the iginition key would that work.  My arms just aren't long enough to do that.

Returned to the dealership 9/04, 127K miles yada yada yada, starter #2 deemed to be bad, and was replaced with starter #3.  Truck was working great for a couple of weeks and again, untermittent starting problems have returned.  

Dropped the truck off this morning, 130K miles, at the same dealership and was informed starter #4 was going to be installed tomorrow.  They stated they had their master techician check all other systems which were all good.

What is your opinion?  I find it very difficult to believe that it contiunes to be a starter problem!!  4 starters in 10K miles.  

Answer
You are probably right, it's not a starter problem, I also own a 1990 4Runner and had the same problem, I have also received questions about this condition before.
The bottom line is that after time passes there is high resistance in the wiring that causes just enough voltage drop to the starter to cause this, so short of replacing the wiring harness or trying to find the cause I simply installed another starter relay under the hood and the problem was fixed, it's an inexpensive way to fix this problem once and for all.
Ask your dealer to do this, there should be a mechanic that knows how to do this and know what I'm talking about.
If not, and you are interested in trying this, send me an email address and I will send a diagram how to wire the relay in, it may be a few days as I'm going on a short vacation this weekend.