97 Avalon won't start this morning

[rqd02]

Yesterday I checked engine oil and found it was below min, I added some oil and decided to have an oil change today: it's due anyway with about 5000 miles. After I added oil, I started the car and moved it to another space. This morning, the temperature was about 38 degrees, and the car won't start. It gave no smoke whatsoever.

I owned the car for about 2.5 years, bought used at 138K, now it has 196k. Engine oil went below min before, each time I just added oil and had an oil change, The car has been running well since I owned it, I only need to change engine oil regularly. It never procuded white or blue smoke. There is no oil leak either. Check enegine light never on. Timing belt changed at 126K.

I think it is most likely the starter.

Any ideas?

[TrailDust]

Start with the most basic troubleshooting issue first: check the battery. Since you bought the car used you have no idea how old the battery is, and with the temperature dropping so low if your battery is old and losing it's ability to hold a charge it won't have the CCAs to crank. You can inspect the battery and get the date of manufacture off of it, but whether or not it turns out to be old I'd have it tested for free at any auto parts store. That's where I'd start, eliminate the battery as the cause.

[TOYOPARTSMAN]

+1 Does it just click or won't turn over. I just had this same issue with my 09 Sienna and there was just a clicking noise, turns out to be the battery. So I would start there first.

[rqd02]

It was the battery! I was in a hurry and didn't even have time to jump start the car this morning. The weird thing was that the battery felt fine: the clock worked, power lock worked, remote entry worked. Quite different from my previous experience with dead battery.
Thanks a lot to TailDust and Toyopartsman for pointing this out.

[TrailDust]

You're welcome! Glad to know it was the simple fix, and not something more involved or more expensive.