Hello everyone. I know it may seem that I am creating an identical thread to the Intermittent Starting Problems & Check Engine Light!!! '91 Previa LE AWD by Ari and Tim. However, my van seems to have a different problem. A few days ago, after driving for about 300 miles, I parked the van at a friend's house to spend the night. About 15 minutes later, I decided to move the van to a different parking spot, but when I turned the key, I just got one click. I turned it again, and heard one click again. My previous starter had gone out about three weeks and a couple of thousand miles before. That time, my wife had pulled over to let me drive, and when I got in the driver's seat and turned the key, I had just heard one click. So I had tried to jump the starter with some wire, but after that didn't work, I removed it and walked to an AutoZone that was, luckily, only a couple of miles away. They tested it and said it was bad (popped out but didn't spin). Since we were on the road and due to be somewhere that morning, I didn't have the option of fixing our starter, and had to buy a "refurbished" one.

Three weeks later, when I got the one click sound again, I couldn't believe that the starter had died again. I kept turning the key, and after about the 5th time, it started right up, no problem, and I moved parking spaces. The next morning, however, we had the same problem. Click, click, click, start. The lights never dimmed, and when it finally did crank it seemed to have full power. So all that day we were able to start it after turning the key several times. The next morning, however, we tried many more times than usual, but couldn't get it to start. So I got under the car and removed the small ignition wire with the plastic clip, and touched that connection on the starter to the big command terminal on the starter. Doing that, it has started every single time, no problem. The trouble is, I don't like to have to crawl under the van every time it won't start, in a grocery store parking lot or after getting gas.

I am thinking that the small ignition wire with the plastic clip has to be the culprit, but I haven't been able to figure out how to test or replace it. I figured that it was just a bad relay, but looking in my shop manual, it says that the A/T Previas don't have relays (except the solenoid switch on the starter, which is definitely good, since I have also removed the starter and bench tested it and it has worked every time). So is it just the wiring itself or the ignition switch? It seems unlikely that it could just be the wiring, since it will go from not working to working sporadically, without jiggling anything or moving anything except the key itself.

The check engine light comes on every time the key is in the "on" position, before attempting to crank, so I think it can't be the fusible link box thing on the + battery terminal either. This problem seems somewhat similar to Ari's in other ways, however, because I'm also getting codes 25 and 26 (lean and rich fuel mixture). I am, however, also getting code 42, which has something to do with the starter not registering when it's cranked, but I don't know more than that or how to diagnose it.

We have been working the starter very hard for about a year, so the ignition switch or wiring or whatever else may have been worn down from that? Last December, I replaced the engine with a really old one after it threw a rod, and then in May I replaced it again with a Japanese takeout. With both of the replacements, the car has been very hard to start, especially in cold weather, even though it never had problems with the original engine. I replaced the AIC and cleaned out the throttle body really well, but still is hard to start when cold. When it's warm it used to always start fine, though. Now that the clicking has started up, I haven't notice that warm or cold make any difference in the randomness

Thank you in advance to anybody that has any insight for me. Previous to last December when I replaced the engine, I had zero experience and barely knew how to change to oil, so I am still a newbie and don't know much beyond what common sense and much failure have taught. Just want to keep this Previa! Tyson