So, I jumped in the truck today and went down the street with no issues. I came home and later when to go somewhere else and when turning the key, all I got was a click.

With two batteries, I was sure it wasnt that but I checked anyway and they are 12.8v

I took a hammer and banged on the starter and it didnt help. My engine oil and trans oils are full and look normal. I did turn the engine by hand with a breaker bar and it spun over fine. When I did this, it was in neutral.

So I pulled the starter off, bought another, swapped it out and still get a click when I try to start it

Any ideas?

My next step is to separate the trans from the engine and see what I get. Not really what I want to do but IDK what else to try.

 

Update: Chocked the front wheels, lifted the rear off the ground and can spin the wheels in both neutral and 1st gear. Doesnt look like the trans nor the diff is locked up either.

 

what your voltage at the starter?

 

I've had that before after disconnecting/reconnecting the neg terminal of the battery. My dash & lights and everything worked, but wouldn't start. It started after I tightened the ground terminal some more. For what it's worth...

 

Could easily be time for a starter. Yank it off and take it to your favorite place. I had my Camry's starter rebuilt for <$60.

 

Well the battery posts were already removed because I tested the starter earlier in the day. Even though it worked, I bought another and put it on only to get the same results.

Doesnt look like the PCM provides a switched ground to the starter. The red cable is directly to the battery and per the wiring schematics in the Service Manual, the yellow wire is 12v trigger wire made to engage the solenoid. That yellow wire comes from the Starter Motor Relay and off pin 87 which is a N.O. contact.

I have verified voltage on the red wire from the battery to the starter (12.3v)

It gets switched 12v from pin 30 that gets 12v from Fuse 14 (30A). I have also verified voltage at Fuse 14 and pin 30 on the Starter Motor Relay

 

what happins to the volage when someone cranks it? Try using remote start. If its starts ignition switch.

 

Flipping the key and using remote start gets the same results, only a click from the starter. Unless Im wrong, this tells me wiring is good because the solenoid is engaging.

But that makes me go back and think something more serious like the engine cant be turned over but I have turned it over my hand so it isnt locked up.

::UGH::

 

From the Srvc Man

RELAY CIRCUIT TEST

(1) The relay common feed terminal cavity (30) is connected to battery voltage and should be hot at all times. If OK, go to Step 2. If not OK, repair open circuit to fuse in PDC as required.

(2) The relay normally closed terminal (87A) is connected to terminal 30 in the de-energized position, but is not used for this application. Go to Step 3.

(3) The relay normally open terminal (87) is connected to common feed terminal (30) in the energized position. This terminal supplies battery voltage to starter solenoid field coils. There should be continuity between cavity for relay terminal 87 and starter
solenoid terminal at all times. If OK, go to Step 4. If not OK, repair open circuit to starter solenoid as required.

(4) The coil battery terminal (86) is connected to electromagnet in relay. It is energized when ignition switch is held in Start position. Check for battery voltage at
cavity for relay terminal 86 with ignition switch in Start position, and no voltage when ignition switch is released to On position. If OK, go to Step 5. If not OK with automatic transmission, check for open or short circuit to ignition switch and repair, if required.
If circuit to ignition switch is OK, refer to Ignition Switch and Key Lock Cylinder.

(5) The coil ground terminal (85) is connected to the electromagnet in the relay. On vehicles with automatic transmission, it is grounded through park/neutral position switch only when gearshift selector lever is in Park or Neutral positions. Check for continuity to ground at cavity for relay terminal 85. If not OK with automatic transmission, check for pen or short circuit to park/neutral position switch and repair, if required. If circuit to park/neutral position switch is OK, refer to Park/Neutral Position Switch in 21, Transmission.

Ok, so lets go through this step by step. Things to keep in mind is that the relay for the start motor is a standard SPDT 5 pin relay. If anyone does car alarms, they are familiar with this relay. I swapped the start motor relay with the parking lamp relay to test one against the other for simplicity sake and the relay is fine.

1) I have voltage at pin 30. This also verifies fuse 14 is good
2) invalid step since 87A isnt used
3) When you flip the key to Start posistion, 85 is already grounded, 86 gets switched 12v from the ignition switch and switches the contact from 30/87A to 30/87. Remember, 30 is always hot no matter what as it gets constant 12v from fuse 14 which gets power from the battery. But power gets transferred from 30 to 87 which goes down the yellow wire to the starter solenoid and engage the actual start motor itself. Thus, the click we hear when the gear spins out and makes contact with the flywheel.
4) Again, 86 gets power from the ign switch to energize the relay coil.
5) Again, 85 is ground only when in P or N. In any other gear, this is what keeps you from engaging the starter accidentally.

So overall, since my start clicks, the Starter Motor Relay and all its wiring must be good and functional.

So back to square 1. Possible mechanical blockage preventing the start motor from spinning. Im going to pull the start again, use jumper cables to provide ground to the start and bump it with the key just to make sure it works correctly

 

If you replaced a suspected good starter with a new starter and are only getting "click-click" AND you have good battery voltage then it's saying to me that you are not getting power to the starter motor.

It's gotta be a relay, ground, bad/broken wire IMO...