Little Pig fail (to crank)

[Buurin]

Have been fine until I reached a gas station close to home. After filling, I heard spark, I guess I have fuel, but no turning. It isn't the battery - a boost didn't help.

[Bitter]

ooohhhh noooooo

well if you need trouble shooting help you're at the right place...i'm here

[Quick2000]

what does the car do when you turn the key to start it?

[Buurin]

Originally Posted by Quick2000

what does the car do when you turn the key to start it?

Rapid clicks that sounds like spark. Then tachometer shoots up to 1000+. I don't hear the starter engaging.

[Bitter]

use a test light to see if you're getting signal to the starter solenoid. if yes then replace starter and check cables. if no trouble shoot farther up starting with the relay.

[Quick2000]

sounds like what my car did about a month ago. I don't recall watching the tachometer jump to a thousand though. It turned out that my battery was toast, I had to push start the car to get to work, then push started it to take it to the shop. I had never had a battery just fail before that...no slow starts or any signs of the battery going. I just went to start it and got that clicking noise. Try swapping another battery in that you know is good and see what happens.

[boredstudent3]

might be the starter...mine went bad last summer...

when i turned the key i heard a "click" noise...maybe the same as your spark noise...

the click was the signal to the starter solenoid, had the starter replaced and it's all good.

[Buurin]

It IS the battery.

After putting it on my charger overnight, it starts right up.

Now how come a jump start failed to start it back at the gas station?

With the kind of ecomodding I'm doing, I need a deep cycle battery. Optima Yellow Top here I come! I have confirmed Performance Improvements in west end Toronto carries them at $219.

[Quick2000]

Don't worry, I felt the same way when it was my battery that went...I was thinking starter solenoid or a wire grounding out. I too attempted to jump start, and even drove the car for 30 miles with no results.

[boredstudent3]

oh man, i had a really bad scare just like 2 hours ago...i try to read as many threads of TN as i can in hopes of being prepared for whatever the future holds for my corolla...but i couldn't recall the contents of this thread...long story short, this is exactly what happened to my car, lucky i was infront of a family friend's house and got a boost to drive home, no stops on the way of course.

Originally Posted by Buurin

Rapid clicks that sounds like spark. Then tachometer shoots up to 1000+. I don't hear the starter engaging.

i turned my key and heard not rapid clicks, but rapid "ticks"...like tick tick tick tick, etc. when turn the key and hold it, the tach needle goes up to like 2k-3k, but i release the key before anymore increase.

i intially thought the starter but i just had it replaced in the summer so i didn't think it was really that. also, the 2 car start-ups before that the car started slower than usual, so i was already experiencing some symptoms.

Originally Posted by Quick2000

sounds like what my car did about a month ago. I don't recall watching the tachometer jump to a thousand though. It turned out that my battery was toast, I had to push start the car to get to work, then push started it to take it to the shop. I had never had a battery just fail before that...no slow starts or any signs of the battery going. I just went to start it and got that clicking noise. Try swapping another battery in that you know is good and see what happens.

i had like 2-3 slow starts before it wouldn't start anymore. another minor thing is that every time i start my car, the clock time is never right, always off and the memory radio stations are never correct, i guess this was another sign that the battery was going.

on another note, the "test indicator eye" on top of the battery was 'green' meaning "ready to test" so i mean why didn't the car start? i had a green indicator light on the battery.

Originally Posted by Buurin

It IS the battery.

After putting it on my charger overnight, it starts right up.

Now how come a jump start failed to start it back at the gas station?

With the kind of ecomodding I'm doing, I need a deep cycle battery. Optima Yellow Top here I come! I have confirmed Performance Improvements in west end Toronto carries them at $219.

i really hope it's just my battery, the jump start got me home so i'm going to get a new battery tmr. should i get the same "AC Delco" as the one in my engine bay? (my battery is oem and mine is a 98 corolla, i guess a battery that lasted 12 yrs did really good huh? )

do i really need a yellow top for a stock corolla? waht kinda batteries do you other folks use and were problem free?

lastly, after i get my new battery i'm gonna obviously want to swap it in. i got a socket set to do it. just need some clarifications,

1) obviously work on ONLY 1 TERMINAL AT A TIME.
2) what size socket to loosen each pole?
3) take a socket to remove which pole first? positive of negative? does it matter?
4) hook up which pole to the new battery first? positive or negative? does it matter?
5) do i "smother" the pole connections on the new battery after securing the connection with di- electric grease?
6) since this might take some time as i'll go slow, will my car "reset" as the battery is not connected and have to learn itself again?
7) any pre-cautions i should be aware of?

thanks for this thread, i just wish i could've recalled the contents when i was stuck on the neighbourhood street. keep posting threads guys, u never know who they might help in the future!

[Buurin]

Originally Posted by boredstudent3

1) obviously work on ONLY 1 TERMINAL AT A TIME.
2) what size socket to loosen each pole?
3) take a socket to remove which pole first? positive of negative? does it matter?
4) hook up which pole to the new battery first? positive or negative? does it matter?
5) do i "smother" the pole connections on the new battery after securing the connection with di- electric grease?
6) since this might take some time as i'll go slow, will my car "reset" as the battery is not connected and have to learn itself again?
7) any pre-cautions i should be aware of?

10mm.
Negative first out, last in.
Some dielectric grease can help but no need to smear it all over. I don't even have this stuff myself.
ECU needs to relearn, but it'll manage itself. No need to go slow while it does, but it MAY (I'm not sure) learn differently if you drive differently.
You probably don't need yellow top, instead you can buy my energizer battery.

[PhatRoyale]

Yellow top is a deep cycle battery and more meant for people with extensive power-draining aftermarket stereo equipment that run with the engine off for extended periods. A redtop might be more suitable. I like my cheapo Energizer battery from Walmart just fine.

On a different note, my OEM alternator finally gave out last week, after 13 years and 152K miles. Died 2 minutes from my place luckily. Replaced with a rebuilt heavy duty unit and she's as good as new.

[boredstudent3]

just installed an Optima Red Top and all is fine.

prolly gonna get a kirland battery instead for half the price, can't afford the $200+ Optima, and johnson controls supplies both brands anyways.