Its having trouble starting, Grrrrr..... What else could go wrong!? Options

[CelicaBuddy]

Damn.... My Celica is acting up again with a new problem....

Now.... My Celica has trouble starting up. When I go to turn the key, I hear oneclick everytime I turn the key and this quiet buzzing noise that wont stop untill I stop forcing the key to turn. But its weird... After awhile of trying to start the car, after like 5-10 tries, my car will start up....

Okay... My theories on wat could be the problem
1. Bad Starter
2. The connection to the Starter could be warring out
3. Something up with the Battery ( I highly doubt something wrong is with the batter, cuz when I try to start the car, the headlights turn on andshine pretty bright)

Hmm... What could be going on?

[Consynx]

battery...
check the terminals and if it isn't a self-servicing battery the amount of fluid in there.

[Consynx]

here's a more theral explaination...sorry

if there is clicking and then a buzz like the clicking just can't go one more(electrical hum-like) then check the termincals and their connections...if there corrosion you can simple replace the termial for like $2, or you can clean the one you have.

if it sounds like the engine is trying to start(cranking), then it's prob your fuel system, it's either fuel or spark plug...

since it's running normally after that i'm guessing it's the first chunk of words.

[lagos]

my guess is that its the battery. i just had a similar problem with my car about a month ago. the battery has the power to turn on the lights, radio, etc, but not enough cold cranking amps to start the car.

how old is the battery in your car?

[Consynx]

eh, i woudln't go off age, my 84month toyota quality just died after less than a year ...lucky me, nowhere NEAR home to get the warranty's worth

edit:
if you end up having corrosion and dont know how to get rid of it:
buy baking soda, a cheap toothbrush or something(i'd prefer dispoable though), and either Vasoline or some grease.
you get the terminals off, put the B.S. on em, then after dipping brush in water, brush the corrosion off.
once gone, dry everything, cover any spots open to corrosion w/ the vasloline or grease, and put it all back together(negative first off, last on).

This post has been edited by Consynx: Apr 9, 2005 - 10:01 PM

[CelicaBuddy]

my guess is that its the battery. i just had a similar problem with my car about a month ago. the battery has the power to turn on the lights, radio, etc, but not enough cold cranking amps to start the car.

how old is the battery in your car?
[right][snapback]268923[/snapback][/right]

My batter seems fairly new... I think when I bought the car,t he guy said he put a new battery in, changed the transmission fluid, new tires, ect ect....

But yeah, me and my dad just looked under the hood not too long ago, there was some connection wire to the battery that was a little damaged. Which Kinda relates to what Consynx was saying... Maybe that wire is damaged enough to the point where it makes the car have trouble starting...


But I dunno... Yeah, the chilly weather, and plus with the car just sitting during the night, maybe the battery isnt strong enough anymore... hmmm....

Grr! Confusing!

This post has been edited by CelicaBuddy: Apr 9, 2005 - 10:13 PM

[Consynx]

if there's white around the terminal, that's corrosion
a brown doesn't affect it really, until it falls off

[Batman722]

How many miles do you have on the car ? do you know if the starter was ever changed ? Starters are common for Toyotas....

[Consynx]

well i was going to post a lil test you could do, but if your car still starts SOMETIMES, the test wont proove anything (its more for if the batt is dead)

edit: if it's only during the cold weather i'd have someone look at it because that means it could be a lot of different things, and they'd be able to pin-point it and possible save you a lot of effort, but cleaning the terminals is a must in ANY case, so if you have corrosion, take care of it ASAP

This post has been edited by Consynx: Apr 10, 2005 - 12:47 AM

[94GT]

2 years ago I replaced my starter and solenoid assembly. It was doing the same thing where I needed to try it a few times before it would start. If it's that, it's an easy replacement and shouldn't run you more than 100 dollars. Plus, if you pull it out and take it to any auto parts store, they'll tell you right away if it's that. Maybe 30 minutes of your time to pull it out, and probably less to reinstall it.

This post has been edited by 94GT: Apr 10, 2005 - 12:14 PM

[Sev408]

its your starter, i had the same sound and replaced my starter and it works fine now.

mine was far worse then yours it would take about 4-5 turns of the key before it started.

[94GT]

Off topic, but is anyone else disturbed by Sev408's avatar **shudder**

[Consynx]

sorry sir, you can't park your van there.

[Sev408]

lol

Hey everyone look what chris' dad can do!!

This post has been edited by Sev408: Apr 10, 2005 - 8:25 PM

[CelicaBuddy]

Well to respond to the Batman's question... My car has about 93,700 miles on it now... Could the starterbe getting old and warn out by ow?


But now another weir twist to this problem.... Usually my car woldn't start up for awhile after its been drived, but now....

Its been starting up fine!
Even in the cold weather and after not running for awhile.... What the hell could be going on? This as been happeing every now and then for the past 2 months... but now its been... oh... about a week since ive put this topc up and my ar has been starting up just in.. haventdone anything at all to help... weird.... what could that be all about

[Batman722]

your starter is about 10 years old now. That is the avreage life span of a Toyota starter, I bet that's the prob. Starters work in mysterious ways...

[Consynx]

well if it was after it's been driven for a bit it wont, that's the alternator.