4.7 toyota - starter kept starting, now a dead battery

My wife's 05 sequoia wouldn't crank (start) last night, although it tried mightily. If you let go of the key, the starter would still turn. Only in the off position would it stop trying. Another strange thing, the OBD light stayed on even after the key was removed. I disconnected the battery, connected it back and it started without an issue. Now this morning all I get is a click. I don't have a volt meter (I really need to buy a volt meter), but I'm 99% sure its a dead battery. going to disconnect the car and let it charge.

I don't know alot about starters, but my thought is the solenoid has failed on the starter, and drawing current. I'm very open to someone telling me I'm wrong, and what the problem actually is. I tried the tundra forum, tried searching the webs but didnt come up with anything. I'll say its a strange problem when I cant find any toyota forum with a solution

First question, are you from Nascar territory?  I ask, because I need to understand your definition of "crank".

Item 1: What Streetwiseguy said. My understanding of "crank" is that the starter motor is rotating the engine.

You're absolutely right about one thing: You need a voltmeter. Or at a dead minimum a probe light, but as long as you're acquiring something... Get a voltmeter. Well, get a multimeter so you can disconnect the battery and put it inline when everything's off to see what current is being drawn (and verify it stops when you've corrected this).

I was thinking switch because of the OBD light and dead battery, though solenoid also seems possible if there's a relay feeding it which gets shut off by the ignition. Because that would explain it trying to crank when it was on "run" (the dead solenoid being stuck "on" so running the starter any time it's fed).

There are no rules against it being two things at once, but the simplest explanation is the most likely, and simultaneous failures isn't it.

That might be a "feature".  Some cars all you need to do it click the ignition to the start position and the computer will continue engaging the starter until it starts or you stop it by turning it off. 

it wouldn't start. 

definitely not a feature. 2005 Toyotas are about as basic as they come. 

A coworker was saying switch as well, but the key position responds normally. turn to start feels turn to start, the accessory works as accessory, and off goes off as normal. 

harbor freight has a 25% coupon this week. going to get a voltmeter after work. 

It could be the solenoid or brushes in the starter, but not in a way that would draw down the battery. The solenoid just might not engage even though the battery has OK voltage. We had this issue with our 1UZ race car when the starter was on the way out, it would just click lightly (not full solenoid engagement) and not crank unless we gave it a beating with a breaker bar or jack handle. 

An automotive tech instructor told me once that the NipponDenso starters used in Toyotas are the easiest to rebuild, usually just requiring a brush and solenoid kit.

In case anyone googling finds this, the starter was the issue. I used a jump box to start it, and only got clicks so I ordered a starter. 

I thought since sequoias and tundras have an engine bay the size of texas, this would be an easy fix. 

Underneath the intake. You'd think that once you get the intake off it would be easy right? The bolts holding the starter on are accessable from the 2 inch gap behind the motor. Dumbest location, on top of dumbest mounting method. I consider the toyota 4.7 to be goat. This was a 5 hour nightmare, that almost makes me reconsider that title. 

lnlogauge said:

In case anyone googling finds this, the starter was the issue. I used a jump box to start it, and only got clicks so I ordered a starter. 

I thought since sequoias and tundras have an engine bay the size of texas, this would be an easy fix. 

 

Underneath the intake. You'd think that once you get the intake off it would be easy right? The bolts holding the starter on are accessable from the 2 inch gap behind the motor. Dumbest location, on top of dumbest mounting method. I consider the toyota 4.7 to be goat. This was a 5 hour nightmare, that almost makes me reconsider that title. 

That is because those starters usually last 200k miles. Mine is at 250k miles on its 2nd starter, it would be something I would change with the next t belt.

Odd question - where is the air injection pump stuff? I thought that was there in the "V" under the IM on the 05+ 2UZ-FE

In reply to irish44j (Forum Supporter) :

Its under there. I stole a pic from the internet to show where the starter is, but on 05-07 its tucked in front of the starter. Or better worded, jammed up against the starter as one last F U to the pour soul trying to remove the starter. 

Couple long extensions and a swivel  will get those starter bolts from the bottom, while "comfortably" laying on the ground. Break em free and spin most of the way out. Ideally you pop the socket off the bolt and spin the last couple threads by hand from the top, leaving the bolts in the holes. I see you managed to not break the coolant temp sensor during intake removal, good work.  Hope you used a high quality starter so you don't ever have to do it again!

TGMF said:

Couple long extensions and a swivel  will get those starter bolts from the bottom, while "comfortably" laying on the ground. Break em free and spin most of the way out. Ideally you pop the socket off the bolt and spin the last couple threads by hand from the top, leaving the bolts in the holes. I see you managed to not break the coolant temp sensor during intake removal, good work.  Hope you used a high quality starter so you don't ever have to do it again!

yea in this configuration i would use a toyota OEM one.

lnlogauge said:

In reply to irish44j (Forum Supporter) :

Its under there. I stole a pic from the internet to show where the starter is, but on 05-07 its tucked in front of the starter. Or better worded, jammed up against the starter as one last F U to the pour soul trying to remove the starter. 

 

ah ok...I was thinking for a sec maybe you didn't have the 05 you thought you had lol. 

In reply to TGMF :

I very much disagree that's possible. The firewall is 2 inches away from the bolts, with a transmission below that. I tried, but decided pretty quickly access from the bottom wasn't happening. Maybe on different years/models this is possible, but every write up/youtube video I watched, no one took them out from the bottom. 

Interesting.  But look on the bright side.  You don't have to break the cooling system open to do this.

(Sorry, that's all I have.)

lnlogauge said:

it wouldn't start. 

definitely not a feature. 2005 Toyotas are about as basic as they come. 

A coworker was saying switch as well, but the key position responds normally. turn to start feels turn to start, the accessory works as accessory, and off goes off as normal. 

harbor freight has a 25% coupon this week. going to get a voltmeter after work. 

I wouldn't make that assumption. I'm almost positive the 2005 Toyota trucks took a "start request" from the key and then proceeded to do what they needed to do. You don't notice because they usually start pretty quickly and, well, you're probably holding the key on the starter anyhow. Try just giving it a bump and see if it starts.