Uhhhh....If you hold the keyfob upto the start button, the LED on the start button will change color (I forget what color) and allow you to start the car. I am sure this is in the manual somewhere.

 

I believe it's green color. But U also have to apply the brake like normal.

In addition - as the battery starts to go weak, when you shut off the ignition you'll hear a beep come from the dash. That's an indicator that your battery needs replacing.

RTFM my friend, RTFM...

I personally think the keyless entry and keyless start is brilliant.

Do you know how to go from ON to ACC without going to OFF with the keyless?

 

In addition - as the battery starts to go weak, when you shut off the ignition you'll hear a beep come from the dash. That's an indicator that your battery needs replacing.

RTFM my friend, RTFM...

I personally think the keyless entry and keyless start is brilliant.

 

In addition - as the battery starts to go weak, when you shut off the ignition you'll hear a beep come from the dash. That's an indicator that your battery needs replacing.

RTFM my friend, RTFM...

I personally think the keyless entry and keyless start is brilliant.

Have to agree with Tom.......

Keyless start is the Bomb!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Do you know how to go from ON to ACC without going to OFF with the keyless?

No. Not sure that's possible. It seems to be sequential (Off, Acc, On, Off...). Can't say I've read anything to the contrary.

 

There are a few down sides to it. like that unable to go strait to ACC without the complete off. And why can't the door auto lock when it don't detect the key?

 

There are a few down sides to it. like that unable to go strait to ACC without the complete off. And why can't the door auto lock when it don't detect the key?

if u want to go straight to acc from on then leave the car in neutral push the button then go to park

 

Push button start is the main reason I bought the car.Well said,Tom.:clap:

 

I agree that when the smart key works properly it is great. But i also agree with the original poster that if there is a problem it is a big problem.

My '07 Avalon Limited is now sitting in the driveway, blocking the garage because it won't start. I have held the key fob up to the start button - no go. I have replaced the batteries in the fob - no go. The fob works the door locks and pops the trunk, just won't start the car.

It's frustrating because its a saturday and i'll have to wait until Monday to call the dealership to try to get this thing going.

Does anyone have any other suggestions i can try to start my Avalon?

Thanks!

 

Make absolutely sure that the battery is making contact in the key fob. The slightest amount of contamination can prevent making contact. Bend the contacts to make sure they're pressing onto the battery.

 

Tom, thanks for the suggestion. Still no go after bending the contacts. I really think the problem is in the car, not the fob. The fob locks and unlocks the doors and i'm sure the battery is fresh.

Thanks again for the suggestion - any others?

 

Well, if the key fob battery is okay, then you sure the car battery is registering over 12 volts? You can have power inside the car, but the ECU won't activate the starter until there's enough juice in the car battery, and it needs quite a bit. If you've experienced any extreme weather, use a multimeter to test battery output. If below 12.5v, charge it for the day and try again. Testing the battery under load is a good indicator of whether the battery has gone bad.

The brake indicator switch may have crapped out. This sends the brake signal to the appropriate things, like the ECU and push button start controller.

Other than that, the only other thing I can think of is a transponder issue. There was a way to reprogram chipped keys using a special in-car sequence, but I'm not sure if you can do it with the push button start system. It'll likely need to be connected to a Toyota scantool if there's a problem with that.

 

Can you get turn on the Accessories by pushing the button with your foot off the brake pedal?
If yes, try starting with the transmission in Neutral instead of Park.
Check to be sure the "back-up" (reverse) lights are working. If the fuse for the back-up lights is blown, push button start is disabled. I learned this the hard way.

 

One other thought - make sure there isn't another transponder nearby that might interfere with the one for the Avalon.

 

OK, some success! I went to ACC, shifted to neutral and the car started. That's the good news. After it started i put it back in Park and now it won't shift out of Park.

There have been times that the gear shift seems to stick in Park and not move to a gear. It appears that there is some binding in the interface that requires the brake pedal to be pushed in order to move the shift lever.

Could that also interfere with the "hold the brake and press the start button"?

I'm unable to do this again - - go to ACC, move the lever to neutral and start the car... Grrrrrrr...

I hope i can get a combination of engine running and a gear so i can get it to the dealership... which is only 3 hours away ...

Thanks VERY much for all the suggestions! Let me know if there is anything else to try, especially if you know a brake/gear shift workaround.

 

There is a mechanical way to get it out of park. Pry off the little cover near the knob, with your metal key that rests inside the transponder fob. Then use your finger to push down the plastic piece exposed after you remove the cover. If you get it right and pressed down far enough you can get the car into neutral with it completely off, doesnt matter if its acc, on, or completely off, since its a mechanical override for the brake safety.

 

Excellent! One step closer. I was able to move the gear lever into neutral but it still won't start. It did once, but not now. I don't get it...

I'm quite sure i've tried every combination of Park, Neutral, acc or not.

Would there be any advantage to disconnecting the battery for a hour or so? Kind of like re-booting the computer?

Thank you again for the collective help!

 

To remove the shifter trim plate, I slide my thumb under the right edge of the shifter slot, then pull up to lift the right edge of the trim plate first. Once released, just turn it 90 degrees and you can access the manual shifter release button, which is at the top left. If you want to remove the trim plate completely for awhile, just unscrew the shifter handle (counterclockwise).

As someone suggested, your brake lamp switch could be defective. Are the brake lights working (easy to check while it is dark)? Being in Alaska, you might also have some ice interfering with free movement of the shift cable at the transmission.

 

With foot on brake pedal, try holding the button in with your left hand while "jiggling" the shifter around the N position with your right (helps to have a contortionist rating ). If the starter tries to operate, it is likely the safety switch (perhaps just an adjustment). If you hear clicking noises, but the starter does not operate, it could mean a weak battery (I've been there).

 

Can't hurt to disconnect the battery negative terminal for awhile. Minor downsides are:
(1) have to reset the radio stations;
(2) transmission will feel different until it adapts to your driving style again;
(3) "one touch up" windows and sunroof will have to be re-initialized (a simple procedure).

 

The "jiggle" test produced no results, but i passed the contortionist test! It DOES appear, tho, that the brake lights are not working. They should come on in the ACC position, right? That's the second press of the start button, right?

Looked under the dash and could not readily identify the brake light switch...

 

Brake lights come on even when the car is off I believe.

 

Thee are 2 fuses in the engine compartment worth checking, Stop #1 (15A) and Stop #2 (7.5A) - positions 7 and 2. Chapter 8 of the Owners Manual shows the specific locations. Both are in the brake lamp circuit. The push-button start needs a brake-depressed signal.

 

This is just weird... I went to check the car again, the brake lights came on when i stepped on the brake, the green light came on the start button and it started as it should. I needed to use the mechanical override to shift from Park into a gear. I moved the car into the garage and noticed the brake lights no longer work. Parked the car and shut it off and tried to re-start - no brake lights, no start. I noticed the VSC and ABS warning lights were illuminated on the dash.

I think the brake light switch is the culprit. Both fuses are good.

I will continue the diagnosis tomorrow, it's time now to open a nice bottle of petit syrah. :lol:

I do want to sincerely thank you all for your very constructive comments and willingness to help a guy with a dead car. OK, semi-dead car.

 

I have the 2005 wiring diagram; hopefully yours is identical.
Wire colors for the brake switch are Black; White; Brown; Grey. The black and white are for the brake lights. Brown and grey are a redundant safety switch for the cruise control.

 

ABS and VSC are also powered by fuse Stop#2. Did you remove the fuse and re-seat it . I've seen intermittent fuses and fuse clips.

 

Relevant power flow path:

Battery
Stop#1 fuse
Brake light switch
Junction connector
Shift interlock / ECM / ABS / Start control ECU
Stop#2 fuse
Brake lights

There are therefore only 3 components in the power path to all of the the affected systems: Stop#1 fuse, brake pedal switch, and a junction connector.

I would not drive 3 hours for service before first ruling out the Stop#1 fuse. Even if it looks good and measures low resistance, there could be a hairline internal break. Replace it and see if any of the symptoms change.

Some fuses have probe points on the top for a voltmenter probe. If the problem persists, you will need an inexpensive voltmeter.
Connect the negative probe of a voltmeter to chassis.
With the car off, probe both ends of the Stop#1 fuse; both points should read battery voltage (12V to 13V).
Now have a helper depress the brake pedal, and repeat the 2 measurements; they should be unchanged. A stick can be wedged in place as a substite for the helper.

If both ends of the fuse are at a much lower voltage with the pedal depressed, suspect the battery or a fusible link. Measure directly at the battery positive terminal to make sure it remained at 12v-13v.

If both ends of Stop#1 fuse measure OK, measure both ends of Stop#2 fuse with the brake pedal depressed. No voltage or low voltage at both ends of that fuse inplicates the brake pedal switch or the junction connector.

 

Great diagnostic! Here's what i found...

Battery - 12.65

Fuse 1 a - 12.65
Fuse 1 b - 12.65

Fuse 1 a brake depressed - 12.65
Fuse 1 b brake depressed - 12.65

Fuse 2 a - 3.4
Fuse 2 b - 3.4

Fuse 2 a brake depressed - 9.4
Fuse 2 b brake depressed - 9.4

So what this tells me is that both fuses are OK - they look OK, too. Because there is a voltage drop at Fuse 2 (Stop 2) it is probably the brake light switch or junction connector.

I will try to locate the brake switch and adjust it so we have brake lights and therefore ignition.

I still need to get it to the dealer because this is not the first time we've had it checked for intermittent start and also because the shift lever won't move without using the mechanical override. The car is still under warranty so i want THEM to fix it!

Thank you again for sticking with me to get this going!

 

Sure sounds like a faulty brake switch. Its also what tells the trans that you can take it out of park and what tells the keyless start its ok to start. Good Luck. I bet if you get it replaced all your issues go away.

I had a brake switch problem in my old gmc too, took forever to pin down the issue.