Hi! I have a 99 Corolla automatic with 148,000 miles on it.
The weather is getting cooler here, and I am starting to have problems starting. When I turn the key, nothing happens, and I have to try one or two more times before the engine starts. I took the car to NTB and they said that the battery, starter, and charging tests were fine. (The last time I bought a battery for this car was about two years ago.) They thought there might be an internal problem with the alternator. When I drive, the battery light does not come on. Do you have any other suggestions as to what might be wrong? Thanks for your help.
get your ignition barrel checked out. Bad connection??
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'98 ROLLA
a work in progress:
New injector O-Rings, new intake manifold gasket, Tinted tail lights, tinted corner lights, Purple 8500K H4 bulbs, JDM Black headlight housing, Weapon-R CAI.
Thanks. Where is the ignition barrel? Does it also go by another name?
BTW, the car does start better when it is warmer outside or the engine is warm.
Ron
the ignition column/barrel is where you put your key. remove the steering column surrounding, and the ignition column/barrel is very apparent.
I had a 93 Nissan Sentra before my wonderful Corolla. I eventually found out that the rotating part in the barrel where it makes the initial conection for the starter to kick in went bad. But it also started happening when it was cold. I installed a push button start. I put the key in and turned it to "ON" and pushed the start button...and ....VROOOM.... it started.
__________________
'98 ROLLA
a work in progress:
New injector O-Rings, new intake manifold gasket, Tinted tail lights, tinted corner lights, Purple 8500K H4 bulbs, JDM Black headlight housing, Weapon-R CAI.
Thanks again for your help. It turned out to be the starter in this case. We got it replaced, and my wife says the radio works better as a result! Go figure.
However, this brings up another question: Does leaving the A/C and fan on when shutting the car down (and, therefore, having it on when the car starts) decrease the life of the starter? I am scrupulous about shutting these things off, but my wife has not been so careful.
Hey Ron, good to see you figured out the issue. How much did it cost to replace the starter?
Mine would not start this morning either. I had to give it gas before it would start. I'm wondering if I should go ahead and replace the starter or leave it alone as it starts fine once the weather warms up.
wow...do you know if it was really necessary? i'm thinking about leaving it this way and hoping for the best.
It's like this: The car starts more readily, and like I said, the radio is even working better. At this point I would say that if the problem were the ignition barrel, then replacement of the starter would not have helped. By the way, the true cost of the starter (parts and labor) may have been closer to $500 (though my wife got the shop to give us a 10% discount). I think we also had a fee for "diagnostics."
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