[hav]

Hi Guys,
My 1999 V6 won't start. Today morning when I tried starting it after a couple of days all the lights came on first and then when I turned to start it made a click and didn't start. The next time I did it no lights were showing up. So, when I turn the key nothing happens. There was absolutely no power. I did not keep anything on. Even the doors had to be locked manually. Is this a battery Isuue or something really bad? I never had any warning lights on.
Thanks

 

[DFBonnett]

First thing to check is the battery. It can be good one day and a goner the next. Are the cable connections at the battery clean? How old is the battery?

 

[datnguyen24]

Sounds like a dead battery. Best way to find out is jump starting your car if it turns on its a dead battery once your car is on take it to autozone to have it checked its free. If you end up buying a new battery and the same problem happens its a dead alternator. Good Luck..

 

[hav]

The battery terminals area clean. The battery is around 2 years old. Can it be a blown fuse?

 

[hav]

Can weak or struggling start in the morning be asign of a going battery? If it is so I think I had to crank for 2 seconds for the past few months in order for the car to start.

 

[WhiteRabbit]

did you try a jumpstart?

sometimes if the battery is very dead, a jumpstart wont work either

measure the voltage of the battery with a multimeter, they can be bought cheaply

if the voltage is low and a jumpstart wont work, take it to a auto parts store and let them fully charge it for you

or better yet, just buy a brand new battery

 

[Bluecam6]

If the battery is 2 years old it still has some warrenty left. You need to have the battery load tested . the battery can be tested wether it is in the car or you can take it out. You also need to be very sure the battery cables are clean at the battery side and at the starter side and the ground side at the transaxle....................................................Any shop will load test the battery for free.........................................................................

 

[hav]

I am at work now. Got a ride from a friend. I will try to jump start in the evening. I never did it. Just connect positive and negative from the other car's battery to mine and crank right? Also what batteries should I buy? I have option of Walmart, Pepboys and Advanceauto around my house.

 

[ELL]

Most batteries I think are made by two manufacturers
Try to jumpstart it. If it doesn't work, consider replacing the battery
If it does work, consider replacing the battery anyway, as it will likely occur frequently, especially during winter months when the cold charging capacity is lowered.

 

[datnguyen24]

If your battery is 2 yrs old it might be covered under warranty. Also if you do jumpstart it doesn't guaranty that your battery will hold a charge. I use die hard gold from sears. 3 yr warranty.

 

[Kep]

When you jump start a totally dead battery you may need to leave the donor car hooked up for 10 or 15 minutes before you will get enough charge into the dead battery to start the engine. When you are turning the key have the donor car race their engine (not a lot but more than idle, maybe about 2500 RPM). It is a good practice to hook the cables to the donor car first, then the receiving pos post and finally the receiving neg post. A lot of people recommend hooking up to a ground on the receiving car rather than the neg post. I believe that is to reduce the risk of a spark near the battery vent (which may be venting hydrogen).

Remember, this could be a bad battery (if bad enough you won't be able to jump start), loose or dirty connections, and/or a bad alternator. Call your three auto parts stores and see if any of them will check your electrical system. Many will do it for free. Get the car started and drive over to have them check it. They can determine if it is the battery or the alternator.

Kep

 

[WhiteRabbit]

i tend to prefer diehard batteries from sears, therefore i recommend theirs

 

[ejaymclane]

FLAT BATTERY.

The same thing happened to me the other morning. Tried to start the car and heard clicking, the lights and stereo still worked as did the wipers.

Luckily i had a battery charger so i set it up on fast charge and left it for 30 minutes.

That provided enough power for me to start it then i went for a drive to charge it back up.

Now its fine again.

 

[azndragon04]

Happened to me two days ago. Alternator is probably shot (on mine at least). :\

 

[WhiteRabbit]

it may seem fine after you recharge it, then a couple of weeks if not days later, it'll happen again! buy a backup battery now and keep it in your trunk or something

happened to me just recently! and i had an optima yellow top too....=( i swear those batteries SUCK and i will never buy one again

Diehard Platinum FTW

 

[Mike Gerber]

Kep and others,

"It is a good practice to hook the cables to the donor car first,"

All your advice is correct except for this. Weak batteries can give off explosive gasses. Therefore, it is best to hook the cables to the weakened battery first, and then to the donor car. That way, if there are any contact sparks, it will not spark near the weakened battery, but rather near the donor car's battery.

Mike

 

[hav]

Thanks Guys for all your advice. I came back from work and stried to start the car and it started right away. I popped the hood and checked to see that one of the terminals (+) was a little loose as in I could move it with my hand. I tightened that and bought some di-electric grease and put them on the terminals. Do I need to check and tighten any other cables? coz I think it was just happening due to loose connection.
Thanks

 

[datnguyen24]

glad to hear you got your camry back up and running. nothing else needs to be tightened besides your positive and negative post on your battery. :clap:

 

[azndragon04]

turns out my terminals were too corroded, got them replaced, everything else worked fine.