Problem starting..(video inside)

[ONE_to_HATE]

Okay.. the "hiccup" that happened over 6 months ago - now has happened 3 days in a row. - any ideas what it could be?

[kazzXtrismus]

hold the key down longer with the gas pedal depressed.

also wait about 3 seconds after you turn the key to the "ON" position before going that 1 last click to "start".(when the starter engages)

you need to try harder (longer) before we can get a better sense of whats happening

[future_spiegel]

true, try cranking it for about 5 secs to see what happens. i used to have a bad switch on my camry and when turning the key, sometimes it would work fine, but other times it would flicker and destroyed 2 starters.

in the end i had to hot wire it straight...

[ONE_to_HATE]

i was thinkin' about holding the ignition for longer period of time- but the sound im getting was just horrid and i did not want to go for gold. LOL. But it eventually starts up after lunch.

[redgtxdi]

OK, I think this is actually rather common (at least on Gen 4's). Mine's a '98 and does it every so often too.

You'll get it to start after a few tries if you really keep the gas pedal depressed and once the (forgive my ignorance) "CHOKE" (or what we called choke during the carburetor days) kicks in, it'l get up to that 1,200rpm (or so) mark & you know it's "OK" because you can let your foot off the gas.

But if you try & do it without ANY pedal, forget it..........you'll get exactly what you're hearing.

It's some sensor somewhere 'cuz I know these cars SURELY ain't got no mechanical choke no more.....(har har!)

As for what it is, I dunno. I think it's so common that I'm VERY surprised it's not like #1 or #2 behind things like "Gen 4 Suspension Clunk" and "O2 sensor". (No, it's not O2 sensor 'cuz I changed mine this summer & mine still hiccups every now & then.

[gladis]

I'm sorry I couldn't be more helpful, but this happened to my dad's 96 a few years ago (I was still about 12-13 then) on winter mornings (not that cold, we're in San Francisco, and garaged ~40-60F) the car would do this for 8-10 times and we would floor the thing and try to keep the revs up

A couple days the car wouldn't start at all, and we had to resort to using the Sienna (we only had two cars then, and dad had to work)


Anyway, my dad took it to the mechanic to have a it fixed, and it was a cheap replacement <$100, and its been fine ever since, even in 25-35F situations since the car is now outside.

So its certainly fixable, not just something you have to live with, and it shouldn't be expensive! But I was too young to know what it is, and my dad is car illiterate

For now, keep cranking the thing until it starts and give it gas, and dont let go of the gas even after it starts, keep it above 1500-2000 for 2-3 minutes and it should run fine

Nice wipers, btw!

[future_spiegel]

i think it has to do with the throttle position sensor, i had that same problem on my t100 now that you mention it, and you have to keep the gas on to at least 1000 rpm otherwise it dies...

i remember back then i was told it was either my MAF or throttle position sensor

[kazzXtrismus]

well to meit has happened before
dirty tbody and maf
then i did teh distributor cap and rotor.

never happened again

but only tring for like 2 seconnds is silly

and it gets real cold here...-40F

[trdcamry00]

It's a pain in the ass to pinpoint the problem. You could try to run diagnostic tests on it if you have the manual. It has a trouble start tree that helps you pinpoint the problem. It really helped me out a lot when I was having problems. If you don't have the manuals i think you can get it on camrymanuals.com If not hit me up I'll let you borrow mine. Hope you figure it out



jon

[dc_98_cam]

Originally Posted by future_spiegel

i think it has to do with the throttle position sensor, i had that same problem on my t100 now that you mention it, and you have to keep the gas on to at least 1000 rpm otherwise it dies...

i remember back then i was told it was either my MAF or throttle position sensor

There is a diagnostic test for the throttle position sensor in the repair manual. See Diagnostic section of Gen 4 repair manual .... Would think that you would be getting a DTC on a scan tool if this were the case though.

[Eye8Pussies]

it could be a lot of things...

at first look, the symptoms seem to be the same as though the maf sensor wasn't hooked up. but since this only happens occasionally, it probably isn't that. A dirty maf sensor won't cause a no-start either though, but will give a rough idle.

without actually being there and seeing/working on the car, I would say either IAC or TPS

[sheepwundr]

it is very common problem in many toyotas. you need to clean out the iac valve in the throttle body. if you want to spend lots of money you can replace the entire iac valve. if you want to save money just clean out the iac valve very gently with brake or carb clean and soft bristled tooth brush. when you are done make sure the valve open and closes easily with very little pressure. you will have to replace the rubber gasket between the throttle body housing and iac valve, possibly the throttle body gasket if it is not metal. to get the phillips head screws loose on the throttle body housing use vise grips just to crack them free. the 3 lines that hook up to the throttle body, 2 outer lines are coolant and the one in the middle is vacuum.