2007 Toyota Avalon starting problem...
January 30, 2016 4:10 PM Subscribe
About two weeks ago I started my Avalon and pulled it into my garage. I turned the car off and decided to restart it to pull a little closer inside. It would try to turn over but would not start until after about 4 tries. The same thing today, I started the car, turned it off and went in the house for something, came out and it would not start until about 4 tries. There are no dash lights burning after starting, what could be the problem?
Might also be the starter.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 4:26 PM on January 30, 2016
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 4:26 PM on January 30, 2016
I'm not quite sure what 'try to turn over' means here. Dying battery might be a sort of sluggish whuh whuh whuh turn over sound on key turning before picking up and firing. Starter issues might be you turn the key and hear a click, but nothing happens, and no whuh whuh whuh sounds, then after a few tries it will fire up normally.
posted by carter at 4:58 PM on January 30, 2016
posted by carter at 4:58 PM on January 30, 2016
Best answer: Similar to what happened to my car when its battery needed replacing. You can take it to a shop to test and replace the battery. If you have AAA, they can come out to you to test the battery and sell and install you a new one if needed.
posted by ShooBoo at 5:37 PM on January 30, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by ShooBoo at 5:37 PM on January 30, 2016 [1 favorite]
It could also be the fuel line if it's trying to start and not firing. But it's probably just a dying battery.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 6:00 PM on January 30, 2016
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 6:00 PM on January 30, 2016
It might not be the battery, but it's likely and it's an easy fix, so you should probably check that out first.
posted by Faint of Butt at 7:11 PM on January 30, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by Faint of Butt at 7:11 PM on January 30, 2016 [1 favorite]
It would try to turn over but would not start until after about 4 tries.
Terminology issues here, perhaps - in the car world 'turning over' is the engine being physically turned by the starter - ie you are holding the key all the way over to start position and the starter motor is making that 'whirr whirr' noise before the engine itself starts. This is also called 'cranking' like you used to do with the handle on Ye Olde cars. When an engine is turning over, the engine itself is not working - you have to hold the key or starter button for the engine to continue to turn over.
Now this phrase: "It would try to turn over but would not start until after about 4 tries." would be described by auto types as "The engine coughed and tried to start a couple of times but needed 4 goes to actually start". So the engine kind of kicks and coughs as it is *just about* to start running but then the noise drops to just the starter motor whirring noise again. Is that correct?
If it was genuinely 'trying to turn over' then that is a very low speed, Wh....urr. whu.....r noise, much lower pitch than the usual noise made when trying to start the engine. so basically the engine is having trouble just rotating, rather than actually trying to start. To a car person - a car that won't turn over is one that won't go around, not one that wont' start. Does that make sense?
I think, however, you are using 'turning over' as in 'trying to start and run', so I will continue accordingly but let me know if that is incorrect.
Option a for more info:
The engine just fires once randomly (a genuine, very fast cough noise with a matching shudder possibly) a few times but you had to keep the starter engaged past those coughs before it started eventually (ie continued cranking, several coughs then it starts), OR crank....cough/stop, then crank....cough/stop because you are releasing the key.
Option b: The engine initially starts momentarily and runs for a split second then stops, but only runs properly for less than a second.
It sounds to me like it is the first option, in which case it could be low battery (cranking speed is too low to start engine - a jump start will produce instant starting), bad starter (same, but a jump start makes little or no difference to the cranking speed), or some fuel or electric related issue. There isn't enough to make a judgement just from this.
However: " The same thing today, I started the car, turned it off and went in the house for something, came out and it would not start until about 4 tries."
This part is more concerning. It is unlikely to be just your battery (because it should have been fully charged having just run) so it is likely a VERY bad battery (in which case it shouldn't start first thing in the morning), or more likely a bad starter (because it works less well when hot). But it's more concerning because it is far, far easier to start a warm engine than a cold one. So the fact it does it (from your reporting) only when hot and not when cold, makes me think it is more likely electrical or fuel (ie a coil pack breaking down when hot and/or a starter motor that is heat damaged).
I suggest the next time it does it you jup start the car to eliminate the battery. If there a tangible difference to the way it starts (faster cranking, instantaneous firing) then it is battery related. If that doesn't affect it, then it could be fuel evaporation in the fuel rail (maybe through restricted fuel flow because the fuel filter needs changing) in which case the best test is to cycle the ignition a few times (turn it all the way till the dash lights come on, wait 2 seconds, then off, then on again and repeat this). If that helps then it is fuel flow related. Beyond that it needs more poking around or symptoms to come up with something concrete.
posted by Brockles at 7:21 PM on January 30, 2016 [1 favorite]
Terminology issues here, perhaps - in the car world 'turning over' is the engine being physically turned by the starter - ie you are holding the key all the way over to start position and the starter motor is making that 'whirr whirr' noise before the engine itself starts. This is also called 'cranking' like you used to do with the handle on Ye Olde cars. When an engine is turning over, the engine itself is not working - you have to hold the key or starter button for the engine to continue to turn over.
Now this phrase: "It would try to turn over but would not start until after about 4 tries." would be described by auto types as "The engine coughed and tried to start a couple of times but needed 4 goes to actually start". So the engine kind of kicks and coughs as it is *just about* to start running but then the noise drops to just the starter motor whirring noise again. Is that correct?
If it was genuinely 'trying to turn over' then that is a very low speed, Wh....urr. whu.....r noise, much lower pitch than the usual noise made when trying to start the engine. so basically the engine is having trouble just rotating, rather than actually trying to start. To a car person - a car that won't turn over is one that won't go around, not one that wont' start. Does that make sense?
I think, however, you are using 'turning over' as in 'trying to start and run', so I will continue accordingly but let me know if that is incorrect.
Option a for more info:
The engine just fires once randomly (a genuine, very fast cough noise with a matching shudder possibly) a few times but you had to keep the starter engaged past those coughs before it started eventually (ie continued cranking, several coughs then it starts), OR crank....cough/stop, then crank....cough/stop because you are releasing the key.
Option b: The engine initially starts momentarily and runs for a split second then stops, but only runs properly for less than a second.
It sounds to me like it is the first option, in which case it could be low battery (cranking speed is too low to start engine - a jump start will produce instant starting), bad starter (same, but a jump start makes little or no difference to the cranking speed), or some fuel or electric related issue. There isn't enough to make a judgement just from this.
However: " The same thing today, I started the car, turned it off and went in the house for something, came out and it would not start until about 4 tries."
This part is more concerning. It is unlikely to be just your battery (because it should have been fully charged having just run) so it is likely a VERY bad battery (in which case it shouldn't start first thing in the morning), or more likely a bad starter (because it works less well when hot). But it's more concerning because it is far, far easier to start a warm engine than a cold one. So the fact it does it (from your reporting) only when hot and not when cold, makes me think it is more likely electrical or fuel (ie a coil pack breaking down when hot and/or a starter motor that is heat damaged).
I suggest the next time it does it you jup start the car to eliminate the battery. If there a tangible difference to the way it starts (faster cranking, instantaneous firing) then it is battery related. If that doesn't affect it, then it could be fuel evaporation in the fuel rail (maybe through restricted fuel flow because the fuel filter needs changing) in which case the best test is to cycle the ignition a few times (turn it all the way till the dash lights come on, wait 2 seconds, then off, then on again and repeat this). If that helps then it is fuel flow related. Beyond that it needs more poking around or symptoms to come up with something concrete.
posted by Brockles at 7:21 PM on January 30, 2016 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: When I turn the key it makes the whuh whuh whuh sound and stops, no sputtering or coughing. It is not turning over I suppose is what I need to say.
posted by just asking at 7:49 PM on January 30, 2016
posted by just asking at 7:49 PM on January 30, 2016
Huh. So just doesn't crank long enough to start? Sounds like starter or maybe even the leads to the starter. If it doesn't whirr and slow down, the battery may be ok. It sounds like a bad spot in teh starter or a loose wire, to me.
posted by Brockles at 7:52 PM on January 30, 2016
posted by Brockles at 7:52 PM on January 30, 2016
Do you hear any squealing sounds right after you start or occasionally when idling? I had a similar problem with starting in my old Toyota along with the squealing and I believe replacing the drive belt fixed both issues.
posted by NormieP at 8:17 PM on January 30, 2016
posted by NormieP at 8:17 PM on January 30, 2016
Sometimes your glove compartment is slightly open, or your rear hatch, so a little light is left on for hours. You might not notice it in a lit garage. So turn your car Aoff like normal and shut the door, but turn off the garage light and look for a bulb on somewhere in the car. A lot of cars have the headlights on for a time after turning the car off, by the time you are in your house you miss it.
posted by Oyéah at 9:28 PM on January 30, 2016
posted by Oyéah at 9:28 PM on January 30, 2016
Batteries can become defective in ways other than just charging problems. My car's battery had an intermittent internal shorting issue that would cause all sorts of electrical problems, including not starting. It was an Interstate and they replaced it under warranty after testing it. If you can get a jump start it's worth taking in to a shop to have the entire electrical system tested before just replacing the battery.
posted by tommasz at 6:40 AM on January 31, 2016
posted by tommasz at 6:40 AM on January 31, 2016
Response by poster: Took my car to Auto Zone and had battery tested - it was bad. So I am very hopeful this will fix my problem.
posted by just asking at 3:03 PM on January 31, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by just asking at 3:03 PM on January 31, 2016 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by reptile at 4:24 PM on January 30, 2016 [1 favorite]