Cranking Problem... again? - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

JayMax03 · 10-20-2008, 03:21 PM

OK now I'm stomped???

I just replaced the starter earlier this year and everything was perfect. I got a new car for my birthday and haven't been driving my Camry lately. Well one day I decide to hear the good 'ole' quiet sound of it. So I used my remote starter to try and crank it up... what gives it sounded like the starter again and it hasn't even been 6 months yet??? Itried crankin it up manually with the key. It still wouldn't start, but I can turn the radio on and the lights and everything is coming on fine except for the engine. I'm beginning to think that ever since I got this Mustang my Camry doesn't like me anymore??

The first time it didn't crank I had a Yellow Top battery under the hood, so I switched out the battery and put in the old Autocraft Titanium battery and it started right up. I drove it around for a bit and the next week its the same thing all over again

I used a voltage meter to check both of the batteries. The Yellow Top had a 6.91 reading ouch!!! The titanium battery had a 12.56 and still wouldn't start?? Is this the alternator or something else but like I said I can't crank the car and it still plays the radio all of the lights come on... what's the deal here? I'm going to jump it off and see will it crank. If its the starter again I swear this is getting old, and now I can't afford to fix the Camry up when the Mustang is eating up all of my gas money

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JayMax03 · 10-20-2008, 03:25 PM

Sorry, I didn't mention the new car sooner guys!! I didn't want to seem like I betrayed the TN family. Hopfully I can fix it up and sell it to get a gen5 Camry its what I always wanted before the Mustang. Btw its a 40th anniversary v6 04 Mustang if anybody was interested in what kind it was, yet I'm not thrilled about having this car and I already got a ticket for a busted headlight

BamZipPow · 10-20-2008, 04:11 PM

Is it making the click sound when you try to start it? Could be the starter contacts. Is this the OEM one or some remanufactured one? If you rebuilt yer starter before, what got replaced?

Zviator · 10-20-2008, 04:20 PM

An oldschool stang for your birthday ??? U are on my blacklist now, lol J.K.

As for the cam, I'm thinking of caburetor, this thing broke down all the time meh.

Kep · 10-20-2008, 10:31 PM

How long has it been sitting? Lights and radio don't take anywhere near the power needed to start the car. But since you put in a good battery the battery should be good. I am suspicious of clean connections from the cable end to the terminal (not the terminal to the post since you just swapped batteries this is probably OK) and to the starter.

I get the feeling that the engine is not turning over, let alone starting. Is this correct? If the engine is cranking but not starting the starter is probably fine.

Was the replacement starter new, rebuilt or used?

Kep

JayMax03 · 10-21-2008, 01:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kep

How long has it been sitting? Lights and radio don't take anywhere near the power needed to start the car. But since you put in a good battery the battery should be good. I am suspicious of clean connections from the cable end to the terminal (not the terminal to the post since you just swapped batteries this is probably OK) and to the starter.

I get the feeling that the engine is not turning over, let alone starting. Is this correct? If the engine is cranking but not starting the starter is probably fine.

Was the replacement starter new, rebuilt or used?

Kep

Its been rebuilt

when trying to crank or what-have-you I can see the timing belt move and now the radiator fans come on before cranking I had that problem before and solved it thanks to the TN fam, so I replaced the fan switch for that problem... I'ma have to recharge both of those batteries my current battery just hit an all-time low... voltage reading 9.80, and all of the lights and radio still works... it still won't start

Kep · 10-21-2008, 07:31 PM

OK, so when you turn the key the engine cranks but does not start. Correct?

Rebuilt starters often have problems. However, it the engine is cranking (=turning over) then the starter sounds like it is doing its job. I'm still suspicious about possible dirty connections between the battery and the starter.

Kep

JayMax03 · 10-25-2008, 01:09 PM

what all tools do you need to remove the starter? I know I have to remove the air intake first I tried removing it myself but no such luck. I didn't want to break anything

Kep · 10-25-2008, 10:29 PM

Disconnect the battery neg. terminal and wait 90 seconds or more (disables the air bag trigger); if you have cruise control you’ll need to remove the battery and the cruise control cover and actuator (3 bolts). There are two bolts holding the starter motor on, a wire to the battery and a wire at the relay.

Socket wrench will probably do what you need. Two starter bolts take 29 ft lbs torque on installation so a torque wrench would be nice.

There is also a starter relay in the box next to the battery.

However, if the engine is turning over (but not starting) it is very unlikely that the starter is the problem.

What are your symptoms?

Kep

JayMax03 · 10-27-2008, 05:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kep

Disconnect the battery neg. terminal and wait 90 seconds or more (disables the air bag trigger); if you have cruise control you’ll need to remove the battery and the cruise control cover and actuator (3 bolts). There are two bolts holding the starter motor on, a wire to the battery and a wire at the relay.

Socket wrench will probably do what you need. Two starter bolts take 29 ft lbs torque on installation so a torque wrench would be nice.

There is also a starter relay in the box next to the battery.

However, if the engine is turning over (but not starting) it is very unlikely that the starter is the problem.

What are your symptoms?

Kep

Well its completely dead now the engine won't even turn over I tried connecting jumper cables to the Stang and to my mom's Avenger and still no response... I never did replace the spark plugs or the timing belt since I had the car which I was going to do before I got the 04 Stang now it seems I'm never going to get it fixed until next year unless there is something I can do thats easy. It always did have electrical problems is there someway I can test the alternator with the voltage meter without power?

Mike Gerber · 10-27-2008, 02:58 PM

"Well its completely dead now the engine won't even turn over I tried connecting jumper cables to the Stang and to my mom's Avenger and still no response... "

That sounds like it's either the connections at the battery or the starter, or the starter itself. The connections should be clean, shinny clean. You can get a tool at most auto parts stores for a few dollars to clean the battery posts and the cable ends. I would try that just to rule them out. Then if it still doesn't turn over, try having someone hold the key in the start position while you tap the starter's solenoid with a small hammer or a wrench. If the starter now turns over the engine, you have identified the common starter solenoid contacts problem. If it still fails to turn over, have the person hold the key in the start positon again while you tap on the starter relay. If it still fails to turn over try switching the starter relay with an identical relay from a non-essential item in the relay box, and try to start it. If it now cranks, you know that other relay was bad.

Mike

JayMax03 · 11-03-2008, 03:39 PM

well I finally got it cranked up on Saturday with my old battery and soon as I turn my Cam off everything just went dead... no lights!! I left the engine on to see if it will charge back up. but no go I took the battery to Advance Auto Parts to charge the battery back up apparently it won't hold a charge... I thinking of replacing the battery wire and cleaning to contacts on the starter like Mike suggested but I think the alternator just quit. I see thing fan or whatever it is inside of it still spinning and the nothing is wrong with the belt. How I'm suppose to test the alternator?

Kep · 11-04-2008, 12:06 AM

So, it sounds like you can get it going with a good battery. Clean connections are still important, do this.

If the battery won't hold a charge get a battery that will and that is already fully charged. That should start the car and run it for a couple of hours (no lights on, no AC or heater, no radio, etc). Go directly to the auto parts store (while you still have a charge on the battery) and they will be able to test the alternator while the car is running. However, if the battery won't take a charge from a battery charger it also won't take a charge from a good alternator. There just aren't any real good (feasible) alternator checks that you can do at home. Just a thought.

If the alternator turns out to be bad they are easy to replace. When you get the replacement make sure the pulley is about the same diameter as the one on your car.

Kep

JayMax03 · 11-05-2008, 02:30 PM

Thanks guys I really do appreciate the help

I got it fixed!! apparently positive post on was somewhat dirty thats why it wouldn't crank and it went dead because the fan switch on the radiator kept dropping the voltage and the alarm was active for 3 weeks when I wasn't driving it. I took it to Advance Auto Parts to get it charged. I'm still planning on getting another alternator still its going to be a HOA maybe a 150 amps to be exact if I can find one for a good price....