I have this troublesome glitch in my starting circuit.
Once in a while, not every time, I will hop in my truck and turn the key and get nothing at all. What I have been doing is just taking a wire and going from the battery to the smaller connection of the starter, works every time. The problem seems to happen when the truck sits for a couple of days.
I am in the process right now of rebuilding the starter, everything looks good in here, so I was wondering where to go next if this doesn't work. I have also cleaned the terminals at the battery. BTW my truck is an 86 xtracab.
Any help would be great. Thanks in advance.
Later,
Tye

i had the same problem a while back and it turned out to be my selinoid after a while of sitting it would get stuck, wacking it with a hammer would unstick it and it would start kind of sign of needing a new selinoid. and it could also be your ingnition swith wire that leads to the starter, you might have a break in it somewhere, try metering it out while moving the wire around and see if theres a short in it some where. but its probably the selinoid.

my friend had the same problem with his 88 4 runner
turned out to be a bad connection at the battery. just take off the posts and clean em up. cant hurt any.
good luck

Thanks for the reply guys, but as mentioned, I had the starter out and rebuilt the thing, solenoid looked good, even replaced the brass/copper contacts. Even cleaned the battery posts real good. ARGGGGH! its just one of those little annoying problem, I also put a meter on the wire, and everything seems fine at the starter end. Guess I'll have to tackle the column end next. BTW, sometimes when I hold the key to the start position and wiggle it, it will turn over, but this brings me to this question: If the computer relay clicks (over by the passenger side kick panel) when the key is turned, would it be safe to say it is not the switch or is this not related at all? Just fishing here!
Thanks again for the replies,
Tye

could be your ignition swithc, sounds like it

When ever I've had this problem in the past I have always gone through everything you just have .It always winds up being the positive and negative cables from your battery.If you've cleaned the posts and changed the fittings on the ends it's more than likely aged copper wire.It's not allowing enough current through the cable to engage your starter but will still power your dash and relays in cab .you may still even have lights and radio.I swore up and down it couldn't be the cables because the wire looked fine but if you've ever played in the water they'll be green and gross somewere under the plastic coating.

These types of things can drive you nuts!! I know I do it for a living.

If the starter turns over when you jumper it then it won't be you cables, but it could still be your ignition wire.

Check as good as you can on both ends to make sure there is no corrosion. Then take the ignition wire off the starter and turn the key to the crank position, you should get 12v. If you don't trace the wire back until you see the 12v, if you don't find 12v before you hit the key then it could be the contacts in the ignition. if you do see 12v at the end of the wire then you know it is you starter.

Good luck, I hope this helps.

Thank you all for the replies, I sprayed a bunch of wd40 into the ignition switch and it has been working for now, I was also talking with someone that mentioned putting a ground strap from the starter right to the frame, ganno try that next and then cut open the harness.
Thanks again,
Tye