New Battery - Won't Start - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

litg8r2001 · 10-03-2007, 04:31 PM

My son left his '93 Camry key in the ACC position last night and the car would not start thios morning. He and a friend tried jumpstarting, but no luck. This afternoon, they bought a new battery but when they went to hook it up, the terminals were on the wrong side. Turns out the store sold them the wrong battery. So, they went back and got the correct battery and installed it. The door chime comes on, but the rest of the electrical components are dead and there is no crank at all. Could they have blown a fuse (if which ones?), fried the alternator or starter (or something else), or could something else be wrong? Car ran and started fine until this morning.

Thanks!

uibalnme · 10-03-2007, 04:56 PM

I'm thinking fuses. Should check them all, and replace as needed.

thaharlequin · 10-03-2007, 05:09 PM

Could be a fuse somewhere, but it almost sounds like a security system issue. There are lines that look like jumper cables w/ switches in the middle you can use to jumper the solenoid to see if it and the starter are functioning properly.

Stillrunning · 10-03-2007, 06:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by litg8r2001

He and a friend tried jumpstarting

Yikes! Yea, I'd try fuses, especially fusible links.

Creeps228 · 10-03-2007, 07:07 PM

Well i ahd a fried alternator fuse which sent no power out to the inside of the car but my car did start, so check you alternator fuse and other fuses associated with it and then try to replace the starter

Curry · 10-03-2007, 07:34 PM

Double check all your wiring and clean the terminals. Make sure all your wires are connected.

Novice_cardude · 10-03-2007, 11:01 PM

Yeah, i'd say check the terminals and terminal ends to make sure they're free of corrosion, check to make sure the battery is good under a load, and check all the fuses.

Whenever someone drops a car off at the shop and says they tried jump-starting and it wouldn't work, I always check the fuses first.

dc_98_cam · 10-04-2007, 08:16 AM

They must have been trying to install an Optima battery. I tried this, and nearly did the same thing. The way the Optima battery is built, the battery cables in the Camry are too short, and cause you to want to set the battery in the battery tray in a position that is reverse to what it should be ... if that makes sense. Anyway, a last minute check of the battery terminal polarity was all that kept me from damaging an '03 Camry .... It looks like it is the same set up on my '98. ... I think you actually have to install some longer battery cables to accommodate the installation of an Optima battery in any Camry.

litg8r2001 · 10-04-2007, 11:10 AM

As an update, my son and I worked until 10:30 pm last night on the Camry. Turns out the Main 100 amp fuse was blown - all other fuses in both Junction Box 1 and 2 looked OK. According to the wiring diagram that I downloaded from TN, the door chime comes off the battery "upstream" of the main fuse, so that explains why that was the only functional electrical component. We installed a new 100 amp fuse from Autozone and when we went to start the engine, though, it cranks and cranks but won't turn over. Maybe he fried the starter or something when he tried jumping the car. Anyway, I had it towed to the local stealership and wait to hear from them.

***toyomoho*** · 10-04-2007, 11:58 AM

This happens more frequently then you think. Toyota has 3 or more fuse boxes in this car, might have been another fuse.

Post back with the dealers findings.

uibalnme · 10-04-2007, 01:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by litg8r2001

As an update, my son and I worked until 10:30 pm last night on the Camry. Turns out the Main 100 amp fuse was blown - all other fuses in both Junction Box 1 and 2 looked OK. According to the wiring diagram that I downloaded from TN, the door chime comes off the battery "upstream" of the main fuse, so that explains why that was the only functional electrical component. We installed a new 100 amp fuse from Autozone and when we went to start the engine, though, it cranks and cranks but won't turn over. Maybe he fried the starter or something when he tried jumping the car. Anyway, I had it towed to the local stealership and wait to hear from them.

It can't be the starter if it's cranking the engine.

ToyotaJimD. · 10-04-2007, 02:18 PM

A friend's brother did this on his 2002 Camry a couple months back, he called my friend who did this write-up... not sure how much applies to your model, but...

I found several fuses blown out which I replaced. But one fuse (120 amp alternator fuse) was a bit of a bear to remove. Clearly Toyota had no interest in making this fuse user serviceable. I had to remove the battery, completely remove the air intake plumbing and air box (thereby unplugging a rat's nest of vacuum hoses and sensor connections) unbolt the fuse box, release no less than 8 plastic clasps and open the bottom of the fuse box. Even doing all this, it was nearly impossible to invert the fuse box to access the 10 mm bolts that keep the 120 Amp fuse bolted in. I put everything back together and the car started right up, but the stability control/traction control light and check-engine light were on. I suspect that a code must have been triggered when the battery connections were reversed and the ECU needs to have those codes cleared. Not sure about the traction/stability control - I wonder if driving the car will clear those codes?

Novice_cardude · 10-04-2007, 02:18 PM

I'd check the fuel pump fuse, fuel pump relay, etc.

I guess now you just gotta wait and see what the stealership wants to fix it.

litg8r2001 · 10-04-2007, 04:23 PM

Update - the service manager says all the fuses are good, but there is an arc in the coil that was causing an insufficient amount of current to go through to start the car. So, they are installing a new coil tomorrow.

I told my son if he ever does this again, I'm giving the car to his sister.

Creeps228 · 10-04-2007, 09:35 PM

nice to know that you found out the problem