No Start - Starter clicks - Battery looks okay - Maybe Starter

Ok so I am going to start a new thread here so it can be helpful for us all.

I have a no start condition on my 2007 5.7l Tundra SR5 4x4. Here are the conditions

- I hear the starter click but not turn engine over
- all dashboard lights get illuminated & I am sure the security light is off (i.e. not blinking - So its not an immobilizer issue with key)
- I thought it was battery so I tried to jump start it with jumper cables, Li-ion Jump pack, Wired jump starter, but same condition i.e. Starter only clicks but does not turn over the engine
- I then thought it was my battery cables so I took them out cleaned them and put them back on tight and clean, Jumpstarted with cables but Still only get starter click but no turnover..

What are my next steps to troubleshoot? I am suspecting its the starter that stopped in a bad position. I would whack it with mallet but its kinda in the inside so i'll have to figure out how to get to it.

 

Ok update I was doing some more troubleshooting and still trying to get it start...toggling the ignition key and only hearing the starter click.. and it did a bunch of times and suddenly the truck started.. okay I said to myself.. let it run for 5 min..turned it off and hit the ignition key to start it again.. and it starts no problem again.. tried that 3 more times and it started up no problem..

So what is it.. bad starter or dealing with some bad starter solenoid contracts. or something else altogether I should be looking at...someone with experience please chime in.. TIA.

P.S. In my interim troubleshooting.. I looked at the fuses under the hood, the purple starter relay fuse, I verified it clicked putting my finger on it and getting my daughter start the ignition.. so I don't suspect it is the starter relay..

 

bad starter i think. Did the weather change recently where you at ?
On my old starter it would act up when weather change (winter time ), it eventually died a year later.

 

Could be the starter relay in fuse box was stuck my was doing that about a month ago and i tapped the relay and it started right up.

 

You may have properly diagnosed your issue. It could easily be the burned up contacts in your solenoid. Your symptoms are exactly the same as ours with a Lexus we had years ago.
Once I replaced the contacts in the solenoid the issue disappeared. The contacts were eroded to about half their original thickness and burned black in color causing the bad connection.
Sometimes the vehicle would start and sometimes not.



This is similar to the kit we used to rebuild the Lexus solenoid ~ your mileage may vary.

Keep us posted with your results.

 

So I didn't really tap the starter relay.. I just was trying to figure out if it was clicking.. I did try to take it out though.. I couldn't cause it is a pita to take it out with your fingers... maybe that did it....but I think doing a starter solenoid contacts refresh might not be too bad...

Does anyone happen to know what is the Tundra starter solenoid rebuild kit Toyota part number?

 

FYI going down the rabbit hole of what is the Denso part number to get there's what I found from Denso's website.. it looks like its a 2.0kW starter for your reference.

https://www.densoautoparts.com/find-my-part.aspx#searchResults

 

I would try rebuilding the solenoid.

https://www.nationsstarteralternator.com/Starter-Rebuild-Kits-s/37.htm

if you do buy new make sure it’s OEM - good luck

 

Have this same exact issue from time to time. I think I have a bad contact within the starter. I sometimes have to jump the starter from the engine bay and "excite" something in there. I have a new, OEM starter ready to put in, but I do not have the time to put it in right now. Also, when I jump the starter from the engine bay, it will click sometimes, then go. It also takes a little longer to start because with the key on and the starter relay unplugged, the fuel pump runs, and you can hear a fuel rushing sound from the passenger side fuel rail, but not the drivers side, is that normal? I assume it takes longer to start because the motor is flooding. But anyway, I think it is either the starter or the key ignition.

 

Okay... I've read all I can... I am having the same problem ( intermittent clicking with no start, occasionally no click no start, sometimes almost start then no start, and sometimes starts right up. ) and have done a lot of the same maintenance like new battery cable ends/ terminals and it started up solid for a week and then started the clicking no start again.... can we safely say it's time to buy a new starter and commit?

 

Aah yeah... Do it.

 

Check into replacing the relay its a lot cheaper than a starter

 

Just replaced my starter on my 5.7. Is the clicking coming from the passenger's side or near the battery? There's a relay in the fuse box that could be bad (but not likely). The easy way to test it is to pull the relay and jumper the power from the battery to the power going to the starter. It should turn over.

If it is your starter it's not a fun job to swap out. I've done worse and because my truck was a southern truck all the bolts came out real easy. For most of us up north though you'll be dealing with rust and corroded bolts. The solenoid stopped working (wasn't even clicking). After taking it out I tested it to confirm it wasn't working. When I got the new to me starter I tested it once more and now it was working.

I got a used starter from a 2020 with 39,000 miles on it for my 2007. Bolted right in. The outside of the starters looked pretty much the same, slight amount of grime. But the gear in the starter looked like new on the replacement.

If you replace it yourself you can remove the starter without removing the exhaust manifold or dealing with the engine mount. Simply remove the solenoid and it'll fit through a gap between the engine and frame. The heat shields are kind of a pain.