# Tempermental toyota

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/tempermental-toyota/8009>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Created:** [December 5, 2007, 3:27am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tempermental-toyota/8009 "2007-12-05T03:27:39Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![sashafoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7993a0/32.png) [@sashafoo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/sashafoo)\
**Post date:** [December 5, 2007, 3:27am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tempermental-toyota/8009/1 "2007-12-05T03:27:39Z")

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My 1995 toyota 4runner won’t start until I turn the key 5-6 times. It usually happens when it is cold outside. All the lights on the dash come on and I get a single clicking sound. When it does start it is fine. I live near the ocean could this be an issue? I have heard salt air can bother engines.

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**Author:** ![BustedKnuckles](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bustedknuckles/32/25_2.png) [@BustedKnuckles](https://community.cartalk.com/u/BustedKnuckles)\
**Post date:** [December 5, 2007, 3:52am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tempermental-toyota/8009/2 "2007-12-05T03:52:30Z")

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You need a new starter. This is a problem with the contacts in the solenoid, but it is integrated with the stater. Best to replace thed whole unit.

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**Author:** ![hellokit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6a8cbe/32.png) [@hellokit](https://community.cartalk.com/u/hellokit)\
**Post date:** [December 5, 2007, 4:30am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tempermental-toyota/8009/3 "2007-12-05T04:30:51Z")

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You could verify that the click is the starter solenoid. Have a friend be near the starter, and listen for the click, as you attempt to start the engine. If the click is somewhere else, the problem could be somewhere else.

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**Author:** ![pleasedodgevan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/51bf81/32.png) [@pleasedodgevan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/pleasedodgevan)\
**Post date:** [December 5, 2007, 5:47am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tempermental-toyota/8009/4 "2007-12-05T05:47:10Z")

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No such thing as salt air. Try cleaning the ground wire from the engine block to the firewall/fender/frame and it may clear the problem. It should be connected to the head or intake manifold. If it is connected to something that is painted, scrape the paint off. This used to fix the 70s Toyotas.

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**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\
**Post date:** [December 5, 2007, 5:39pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tempermental-toyota/8009/5 "2007-12-05T17:39:47Z")

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This is not an uncommon weakness in Toyotas of this bintage. You need a starter assembly.

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**Author:** ![Roadrunner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@Roadrunner](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Roadrunner)\
**Post date:** [December 5, 2007, 7:21pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tempermental-toyota/8009/6 "2007-12-05T19:21:13Z")

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No such thing as salt air. Do you live on either coast, pdv?

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**Author:** ![jtmcphee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9f8e36/32.png) [@jtmcphee](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtmcphee)\
**Post date:** [October 4, 2008, 1:13am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tempermental-toyota/8009/7 "2008-10-04T01:13:03Z")

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The same thing happens to me, same year and model. Did you replace the starter? Or was it somethin else?