Help..Can't start the car. - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

biggieeb0y · 12-19-2005, 08:17 PM

When I try to start the car, I hear clicks going at a very fast pace. The lights and everything still work in the car so I don't think its the battery. What do you think the problem is? Any help is appreciated.

ghettosled · 12-19-2005, 08:34 PM

i dont have a vast knowledge of car repair, but ive experienced this before and it was the battery for me. it takes a lot of juice to crank the car so im not surprised that the other electronic things work on the car and that you hear the rapid clicking from the starter not getting enough juice to turn over the motor. i would try jump starting the car. if youre able to jump it to get it running, viola! its the battery.

atobe · 12-19-2005, 08:36 PM

your starter cylinoid or what's it called is dead either that or your battery is too low to give it enough juice to start the car.. try jumping the car if it starts then it's your battery

atobe · 12-19-2005, 08:37 PM

he beat me to it

Gary_602Z · 12-19-2005, 10:38 PM

Clean up your battery cable connections first as that will cause the same problems! No use just buying a battery for the hell of it! If you want take your battery out and have it load checked (must be fully charged first).

Gary

superp1noy · 12-20-2005, 12:21 AM

speaking of car batteries... mine wont start too. its just that i hear one click only. i put the key in, everything turns on, and when i start, it clicks then everything shuts off. they also shut off when i try to turn on the headlights. i recently installed indiglo guages and im wondering if i tapped it into the correct wire. i connected it with the green wire as stated in the tutorial but im wondering if its the correct green wire since there is one on both sides of the brown plug. can anyone help me? ><

Mike Gerber · 12-20-2005, 09:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by superp1noy

speaking of car batteries... mine wont start too. its just that i hear one click only. i put the key in, everything turns on, and when i start, it clicks then everything shuts off. they also shut off when i try to turn on the headlights. i recently installed indiglo guages and im wondering if i tapped it into the correct wire. i connected it with the green wire as stated in the tutorial but im wondering if its the correct green wire since there is one on both sides of the brown plug. can anyone help me? ><

One click usually means it's a problem with the starter. Actually, it's the contacts inside the starter's solenoid that are worn out. It will probably start eventually if you keep trying it. You can remove the starter and just replace the contacts, replace the starter with a rebuilt unit or have your original starter rebuilt at an automotive electrical shop. I recently chose the last one for my wife's 98 Camry. After taking it out and with almost 90,000 miles on the vehicle, I wanted to feel completely safe the whole startert will last a good long time. My wife usually drives this vehicle. Do a search on this forum for "starter contacts" and read up on the problem.

Multiple clicks usually means it's the battery or battery cable connections as Gary pointed out.

Mike

randomman84 · 12-20-2005, 11:39 AM

its the battery its got not enough juice ive seen this thread multiple times since winter started. Mine did it. I got jumped and it worked fine

superp1noy · 12-20-2005, 12:13 PM

maybe its the battery. i think it is. i hope it is. but heres what happened and its confusing me.... before anything happened, i would hear one click and it shuts off. i read around and this means that one click=starter problem. then when i jump start it, it still doesnt turn on and all i hear is multiple fast clicks. hmm.... i read around and that means fast clicks=battery problem. and then after that, jumper cables off and all and thinking im back to where i started, it turns on fine now. what the freak? wouldnt it be supposed to turn on when im jumpin it? ok im confused... im thinkin its some connection thing. bleh

Cyorke · 12-20-2005, 02:25 PM

For biggieeboy, it is most likel the battery or battery terminals as Mike Gerber pointed out. You have enough of a connection or power in the battery to turn the lights and all on but not enough to start the car. It takes a lot of battery power to start a car but not very much to turn the lights on. Like Mike said I would try cleaning the battery terminals and cable ends first. you can get a batter terminal cleaner with wire brushes for cheap. Or just get a shapr knife and clean the very top layer of lead off of the terminals and clamps.

For superp1noy, again like Mike said the contacts are shot in the starter solenoid and it is a farily easy repair to jsut replace them. It takes about an hour or so and a lot of that is removing the starter and then reinstalling it. You can get the contacts at Toyota or an automotive electrical shop in your area. I will tell you Toyota may not have them in stock though. I used to work for them and we never had them in stock. We always replaced the starter. I had to replae them on my 4x4 truck and waited for 2 or 3 days for the contacts to come in after being ordered. You can replace the starter but make sure you dont go to Autozone or similar place and get the cheapst one they have. You will end up replacing it in a year or so with thte same problem. Go to NAPA or other good jobber parts store and get the starter if you go that route. You may even check with some of them to see if they ahve the starter contacts. They shouldnt cost you more than about $20.00 and then your hours worth of time. Search on here for starter contacts and there are multiple threads about it. SOmewhere there is a link tht takes you to step by step instructions on how to do it.