My car doesn't start. Any ideas? - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

dorifuto.boi · 01-15-2009, 05:46 PM

Hey guys,

I am currently using 10w30 cause im from florida but now i go to school in indiana. my car wouldn't start today. (its -21C) right now. Would this be because of my engine oil ?

Should i switch to 5w30? if i switch to 5w30, im just scared that it would damage my engine when i go back to florida for spring break, summer, etc or do yuu guys usually change ur oil for winter, then change it again for summer, etc ?

btw i don't think its my battery cause its 800cca and it didn't even start when i was jumping it.
the starter motor turns, the engine starts spinning up to like 100rpm but it never turns over...

thanks a lot,
d

or could it be something else ?

rty · 01-15-2009, 06:31 PM

I don't think it's because of the oil. The car should start in -21 celsius with 10W30. Last year I used 10W30 all winter.

The only difference between 5W30 and 10W30 is that 5W30 is thinner when it is cold. When the engine is fully warmed up they are about the same viscosity. Using 5W30 in the summer won't damage your engine.

Some people use 10W30 all year, some people use 5W30 all year, and some people use 10W30 in the summer and 5W30 in the winter.

Personally, if it is -20 I would use 5W30 because the engine will warm up faster. However, your car should still start with 10W30.

dorifuto.boi · 01-15-2009, 07:35 PM

Hey

thanks for your reply.
does anyone have any idea what i should do ?
maybe i should take it to the dealership and see if they charge much to get it checked out

it used to start fine in florida
it struggles to start when im here in indiana but its never not started before

***96paseo*** · 01-15-2009, 09:16 PM

What year? 4 or 6 cylinder? How many miles?

dorifuto.boi · 01-15-2009, 09:31 PM

1998
5s-fe
about 150.000 miles

Hajoca · 01-16-2009, 08:53 AM

Are you using winter gas?

dorifuto.boi · 01-16-2009, 10:39 AM

what is winter gas ? my last fillup was around tennesee/kentucky

***96paseo*** · 01-16-2009, 02:05 PM

Try depressing the gas pedal a bit to get it started. First thing you should do is clean the throttle body. Buy a can of CRC or Gumout TB cleaner. Remove the intake pipe and upper part of your air box. Get a friend to help you keep the car from stalling and spray it into the TB. Your car may smoke a bit when you do this. See if this improves your idle. Does the car idle normally when its fully warmed up? Cold idle problems with the 5SFE are usually related to dirty TB or the ECT.