unusual start up problem - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

trickyazn · 01-12-2006, 12:17 AM

i tried searching but it seems this is the only problem with my camry that i havent seen on this forum, or i might be mistaken

so when i start up my car, i sometimes notice a slow ignition.. like it goes ::tik tik tik tik vroom::.. and its sometimes slow, and sometimes fast. sometimes it seems like its choking when it starts up and my rpm are struggling to go up. also, this is leading me to a slow start when i floor my car.. as it lost a little torque that only a daily driver may notice.

last night, i started up my car and it was choking horribly and the rpm wouldnt climb.. very unusual since this never has happened.. so i dont know exactly what is the problem so im hoping one of you guys have had this problem and know the solution, alternator? battery? spark plugs?

my camry is a 01' 5sfe with a recently installed intake and recently changed the engine oil from 5-30w dino oil to 5-30 mobil 1 synthetic. has 56,xxx miles.

OMNI · 01-12-2006, 01:14 AM

mmm, any maint done on the vehicle? could be a fuel or spark issue. be more descriptive, tik tik vroom does not help much. are you basically saying the car is sluggish?

trickyazn · 01-12-2006, 01:36 AM

yes its sluggish on the start up.. i said tik tik to describe how it sounds like.. and yes, i said it goes "tik tik" slower than usual, which in other words, sluggish.

OMNI · 01-12-2006, 01:55 AM

so its cranking slowly during startup. I would check the battery voltage first.

Mike Gerber · 01-12-2006, 04:32 PM

OMNI is correct. That sounds like a weak battery. Check the battery connections first for corrosion. If they seem OK, then take it to some place that can test out the battery and the alternator. Most auto parts stores do this for free. The battery may be weak, but the reason for the weak battery must be determined. Is the battery just kaput or is there a problem with the charging system. Maybe a bad alternator or a loose alternator belt. Maybe you have a dark current draw that is dragging down the battery after the car has been shut off. Have you recently installed anything electrical; like maybe an aftermarket alarm system? First determine what the problem is, then determine what if anything is causing the problem.

Mike

trickyazn · 01-13-2006, 12:41 AM

well the thing is.. this happens when i start the car everytime after a couple hours of leaving it alone.. lets say i drove aroundfor 10 mins.. i turn off the car.. then turn it on again.. then it'll fire up normally.

and when this symptom started.. my clock was reset but my cd player wasnt.. so that was a bit odd.

Mike Gerber · 01-13-2006, 02:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by trickyazn

well the thing is.. this happens when i start the car everytime after a couple hours of leaving it alone.. lets say i drove aroundfor 10 mins.. i turn off the car.. then turn it on again.. then it'll fire up normally.

and when this symptom started.. my clock was reset but my cd player wasnt.. so that was a bit odd.

With the information on the clock being reset, it sounds more and more like a corroded or loose battery connection or a bad battery. Like I said before, check for loose or corroded connections at the battery. If you don't find anything, go to Autozone and get the battery and alternator checked.

Mike

marc780 · 01-31-2006, 08:54 PM

Heres my two cents on what it could be; worn out ignition switch; old battery getting low, loose or corroded battery clamps; loose ground cable, loose cables at starter; (long shot: tight valves),
Do a load test or hydrometer check on the battery. Grab the batery calmps and try and twist em, if you can do it shim em to make em tighter. Trace the cables from the neg cable clamp to its ground and check for looseness.
Hard to say from here but sure sounds something electrical.