Starting problems with Toyota Van?

[D w]

I posted the following question here yesterday and received a few comments but have had no luck in solving my problem. Please read my previous post as well as my new questions.....

"I have a 1988 Toyota van wagon. From time to time I turn the key and it will not start and it's happening more and more often. Everything works (radio, clock, ect) but it won't start at times. I can hear the starter click (only one click though) so there's power reaching it but it won't turn over. Starter is 6 months old so I assume it's good. If I turn the key really fast over and over it will EVENTUALLY start but sometimes that takes forever! I had this problem before and I had a guy replace my negative battery cable and that worked for a couple weeks but now it's doing it again. The battery and alternator are new. The ground cable from the battery is new. I have no idea what to look at next. I've tried "hitting" the starter with a hammer while someone turns the key and that never works. I've Googled my symptoms and seen things like "maybe install a bypass to starter". No idea what that is and most of these sites were talking about vehicles other than a Toyota Van Wagon. Lol. Help?"


My new questions are....

1. If it's an ignition switch issue, would I still hear the starter click each time I turn the key?

2. If I were to install a starter bypass switch, where would I find simple instructions on how to do it and how difficult/expensive is it to do?

THANK you SO much!

 

[John A]

1 click is the starter or solenoid. if they are 1 unit, next time it doesnt start, tap the starter with a hammer (continuous tapping) while someone else turns the key, guaranteed it will start. Then you know its the starter.

if the solenoid is a separate unit, on the firewall, change that because the clicking is coming from the solenoid.

You would not hear a click if it was the ignition switch, the clicking is telling me the switch is working just fine. Even new starters go bad.....A LOT

 

[roger w]

I've had the same problem in the past. I started to take the starter out but instead found that the starter cable was a little loose. I cleaned the post on the starter and hooked it back up and it worked fine. About a year later I finally had to change the starter. If you used a rebuilt starter then the solenoid that engages the starter could be bad. Maybe its still in warranty. However, I've fixed Toyotas twice by cleaning and reinstalling the starter cable. Disconnect the battery cable before messing with it.