Clicking noise when trying to start a 2003 tundra

Good morning . We are trying to fix a 2003 tundra 4.7 litre. It makes a clicking noise when we tried to start it after it was parked and not driven for 6 weeks. Tried to jump start it. Still clicking and engine doesn’t turnover. Replaced the starter. Still clicking. Anyideas? The battery terminals are clean and not corroded. The battery is about 5 years old. The fuses don’t look blown or melted.

 

Stupid question, I hear you said you jumped it, but have you tried tossing a new battery in totally?

 

Battery at 5 years old needs to be replaced. Confident that is part of your issue.

 

Sounds like a dead battery to me. Sometimes they are so dead even jumping it won't work.

 

Definitely battery issue

 

Thanks everyone for the new battery suggestion. Will try that today and keep you all posted!

 

Check your battery with a volt meter and see what voltage it has. Then find all of your ground wires and check them for corrosion and tightness. Like others above have stated, it sounds like a battery/voltage/corrosion issue. Good luck OP

 

Thank you I’ll pick up a volt meter today!

 

hang around, we’ll have you spending all your money

 

Good luck and keep us posted with your results . . .

 

There's always a minor possibility the starter relay is kaput, but I'll go with check the battery voltage first. If bad, new battery, if then still clicking starter relay!

 

Yeah, to that point, I've had batteries where all 6 cells are perfectly fine, battery shows 12.5v or more, yet if you test the battery's CCA, it has virtually no cranking amperage to offer, which would result in this. The fact this one sat for a while... batteries HATE not being recharged, especially in cold temps, I wouldn't be surprised to know the battery is at fault. The good part is, you can potentially swap in any good charged battery from another vehicle with matching posts to do a quick test.

Actually, you know, I really don't like that MF'er ChrisFix, but he has a battery testing video I watched once where he shows a dual-battery Humvee with two 800 CCA batteries, one tests out at like 75 or 85 CCA on one battery, the other was at like 300-400 CCA or something - end result of only having 400 total CCA instead of 1600 was the vehicle not being able to turn over.

I don't remember what the Humvee did when he cranked it, and I'm too lazy to look it up, but the big giveaway is it's a CCA issue in my experience is, when turning the car over, all the interior lights will typically heavily dim or go out completely while the key is forward in the IGN position. Clicking it typical also - either the solenoid is getting energized and starter may even clank into the flywheel to engage but not getting enough juice to push the flywheel.

 

If it doesn't end up being the battery I will say that I've dealt with replacing a starter to try and solve no crank issue only to find that the AC compressor had locked up while the truck was sitting. (03 6.0 Ford not a Tundra). Try disconnecting the serp belt if all else fails and see what happens.

https://www.tundras.com/threads/2000-tundra-no-start-no-crank.90707/

 

I like cheap first, battery test, if its good, jump the relay with a wire.. if it starts its the relay if it doesnt then its something else.. odds are is the battery or relay, since you already replaced the starter.

 

seems @Tundratoy2003 lost his way....

Tundra won’t start

 

Yup. I just had to replace an 11 month old battery in my sho after it sat for at least 6 months without being charged. Weird thing is, it would jump and start, but it wouldn't hold electrons too well.

 

Could've been a bad battery altogether. Or not enough distilled water in the cells.

There's apparently a trick you can do with epsom salt and distilled water to help boost your battery I've never tried because it sounded looney or overly risky to me.

I think I may end up running up to NAPA in the not so distant future and having them throw their tester on my batt. I'll post more on that in the 'what you did today' thread to avoid a hijack here.