Just bought a 95 Avalon, wont start - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

greeksoccerboy · 07-01-2010, 01:00 AM

So I just bought another avalon (yea i'm crazy oh well) I knew the car wasn't going to start because the lady (doesn't know anything about cars) said she took it to get an oil change and they messed it up and a month later the car didn't start anymore. no signs of it slowly dying, it just didn't start. i pop the hood and the coils are taken out, valve cover unbolted im like hmmm. i check the dipstick and its perfect amount of clean oil. under the valve cover seemed fine too. not even a lot of sludge, barely anything honestly. so i put it all back together and go to start it, nothing. doesn't crank over or anything. so we take a closer look after trying to crank it a few times, heard a pop (maybe?) from the starter or a click from that area. i look closer and the starter is almost unbolted! so i bolt it down all the way and the starter is HOT. (car hasn't been started in 5 months though) still does same thing even after bolted down. so maybe i blew the starter on it trying so many times? what usually happens when a starter goes bad? i only had about 2 hrs to work on it in front of their house. hopefully getting it towed soon back to my place to dig into it some more

***SyStEmOfEvIl*** · 07-01-2010, 02:27 AM

Sounds like it could be the starter. Hope it doesnt turn out to be the engine wont turn...

greeksoccerboy · 07-01-2010, 01:35 PM

well, even if it is the engine that won't turn, i have my 3.0 block coming from my 97 soon because i'll be swapping it for the 3.3 3mz block. I spoke with the previous owner, great people, but sadly i think the motor is seized..

I asked her if i made funny noises while driving or before it started.
Funny noises before it died. It did a rumbling noise and the lights all came on on the dashboard. It started to shake a bit. I managed to get to the shoulder quickly and then it shut off.

She also pointed this out
The oil light came on about 3 weeks after I took the car to get the oil changed (that was around 9 pm). The next day, on my way to work (around 5:30am) the car shut off while I was driving it. I towed it to Toyota and they said that the oil had not been changed and that was the reason that the car cut off. They said the oil was filthy!

however, the oil is full right now and clean. so I'm not quite sure.

***SyStEmOfEvIl*** · 07-01-2010, 06:35 PM

Well best of luck with it, hopfully I can be of better help with later issues.

The Digital MagE · 07-02-2010, 06:49 AM

google "jdm engines" i bought an engine AND trans for $1,250. certainly are low miles but the stop-go driving of japan means the tranny fluid looks bad, so change it after the install

greeksoccerboy · 07-06-2010, 02:32 AM

i already have the spare engine out of my 97, which i'm replacing with a 3mz/1mz hybrid motor. the 95's motor is seized, crank pulley is refusing to spin. so now, my plans:

Pull 95's motor, rebuild the heads, assemble my 3.3 block ground up pretty much on a stand and pull the 97's motor in full and drop in the 95 and drop in the 3.3 in my 97. Main reason i want my 97 to have the 3.3 is because its in SOO much better shape and looks way better. I'm a fan of the diamond white more then the silver spruce. the 95 will be a daily driver for the winter between my mom and me so she doesn't have to take her infiniti out and so i don't have to drive the 60mi trip in a blizzard with my nice avalon..

truthnexile · 07-24-2010, 02:18 AM

Wow, someone left some unfinished jobs on that car, sounds like. I never heard of a car cutting off from missing an oil change, unless it had never had one at all. Some people are indeed that careless- just drive without a thought and magically hope nothing ever breaks down, lol. Sounds like you're set though with the replacement engine. Enjoy it.

greeksoccerboy · 07-26-2010, 02:17 AM

ok small update, i'm believing the stock oil pump went out on the 95 and caused the motor to seize. the motor is seized i can't spin the crank for the life of me, my 97 i can spin with one finger. my 3.3 block came in so i'm going to begin pulling the 95s motor out and rebuilding heads and up to go on the 3.3 and pull my 97s 3.0. the 95 will be stock and possibly resold. my 97 will have the 3.3 + every bolt on made for the 1mz, + boost.

who knew an avalon can be so fast? 300+whp ne1?