2008 Tundra starting issues

Aloha Forum Fam I have a 2008 tundra that won’t start, Starter clicks but won’t start.
Issues I had a week before it went down.
One morning I started the truck forgot something in the house so I turned the key to off position but truck kept running? Put key back to run position,Ran in the house drove 15 mins to work turned key off and truck turned off.
Next starting the truck, started up but slower than usual, like battery was dying. Last Thursday truck wouldn’t start, Cleaned terminals replaced battery still only one click on the starter I can hear fuel pump kick on, but when trying to crank engine the lights/radio turns off on my dash board even with a new battery. Anyone had this issue before? I want to make sure I catch all the simple things before changing my starter, Appreciate any info, Have a Blessed Day Everyone. Thank you.

 

That's a big hint.

Buy a DVM if you don't have one. Set it to measure DC volts and hold the black probe on battery negative and the red probe on battery positive. You should see a little over 12V. Now while you're holding the probes there and watching the DVM screen, have someone try to start the truck and see where the voltage number goes.

If the voltage just kinda sits at or around 12V, then you have a loose connection at work that you need to debug. It could be on the battery terminals themselves or on the other end of the cables that connect to the battery. A follow up test would be to move the black probe on your meter from battery negative to metal on the engine, then try cranking again. If this changes the behavior on the meter and the voltage suddenly drops to almost 0V, then you need to closely inspect the battery ground cable on both ends and any engine grounding straps.

If the battery voltage takes a nose dive instead, like under 9V, then that would tend to suggest an issue with the starter itself and that would be its own bit of debugging.

 

Thank you Audiowize I’ll try it when I get home today, Appreciate your response. Have a Blessed Day.

 

Your starting problem is a weak battery.

The truck continuing to run after you've turned off the switch is a different problem. I suspect your key is worn out. I once turned my old 4Runner switch off, and pulled out the key, and the truck kept running. (WTH?)

This incident raised a question in my mind: Will the steering wheel lock up while the truck is going down the road if I pull out the key? I never put it to the test to discover if it would "lock up".

If your key is worn out, you'll need to get a new key cut. But, if your truck has the immobilizer anti-theft system, the dealer will have to provide a key with a matching chip, and have it programmed to the ECM. ($$$)

 

Thanks Brother, I just put in a New Battery yesterday, same thing.

 

My understanding is that all non-essential electrical shuts off when the starter is engaged. Normally, the cranking doesn't last long enough for this to be noticeable.

If you have a known good battery (12.6V), the starter motor should crank. Time to trouble-shoot the starter. Several good videos on YouTube. Here's one by EricTheCarGuy...first thing he talks about is the anti-theft system:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKjdnQ0sHQc