HELP! ANY ADVICE? 1999Toy 4Runner will not start, clicking sound... all starting system seems good

That, or go to an auto electric shop and have them check it out. No start, but works with a jump should be fairly easy to diagnose. Bad battery cables or ground, maybe?

It sounds like something is right on the edge of start/no start. I read that the starter can turn, but not enough to start. I read that adding a jumper battery allows a start (is it a strong one, or just barely?). So, while this sounds like the usual symptoms of a bad battery, it still might be:

  1. a weak starterā€¦even if is straight out of the box
    2)an excessive load on the starter, due to an engine problem or a dragging clutch.
  2. a battery that is too smallā€¦passable but weak.
    Because the seems to be an ā€œedgeā€ problem, I would rule out the immobilizer issue. A system that is intended to keep the car from running is not going to be bypassed by a jump.

Next time it just clicks, take one jumper cable and get a good connection between yor negative battery post and a metal ground on the engine. If that lets it start, you have a ground problem.

Do you have another car you can swap batteries with?

If vehicle can be jump started then it CANā€™T be the starter. Itā€™s a weak batteryā€¦and or a bad alternator or both.

Put a charger on the battery to get fully charged. If it still wonā€™t after itā€™s charged, then itā€™s the batteryā€¦replace it.

ā€¦or jump start it to get it running.

One running then at high idle check the voltage. It should be up around 14-15 volts if the alternator is working correctly. If alternator is working goodā€¦then drive vehicle for about 30-60 minutes. That should be enough to charge the battery. Turn vehicle off and try to start it. If it fails to start then itā€™s the batteryā€¦replace it.

The jump start provides a different battery AND a good ground. You might have a bad, internally corroded ground cable or connector at your battery.

shanonia states that a jump gives a good ground. That would depend on where the jump connections are made. It wonā€™t improve the ground if the neg is connected at the battery.

1 Like