Toyota - Corolla :: 1981 - Won't Start When Hot?
Oct 21, 2014
My 1981 Toyota Corolla wagon began to intermittently fail to start when warmed up about five years ago, and by fail to start I mean all lights come on but zero crank and no clicking sounds either. The amount of time I must wait for it to cool down and start again has varied between 20 minutes and today's record, 3 hours. This problem is common with older Toyotas and usually means the starter motor needs to be replaced, believe me I've looked into it, but here's the puzzler. I've replaced the starter motor two times and it has failed to solve the problem. I've replaced the ignition switch four times, same thing. I replaced the battery thinking maybe my old battery was losing mojo, but tears came to my eyes when it happened again.
I've studied how a hot starter head close to the exhaust manifold sees it's resistance go up, that the initial crank requires big voltage throughput. But an aluminum heat shield is built in and wrapping the starter in a heat blocking blanket is not physically possible with my configuration. What I haven't looked into yet is the clutch safety switch. I did receive the following bullet from a previous CarTalk query which read: "If a manual transmission, the clutch safety switch must be working and have low enough "on" resistance. Likewise with an automatic transmission, the neutral safety switch." I would love more detail about the clutch safety switch. I can add this interesting caveat to today's 3 hour record wait. I've gotten good a bump starting the car by myself. Today I bump started it in rolling reverse, re-parked it, and tried restarting again. Started right up when it wouldn't start moments before.
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My 1981 Toyota Corolla wagon is beloved but developed a problem wherein when it gets warmed up and it is turned off, it may not start again until it cools down. When I say start I mean no crank, the starter will not turn over. All other electrical functions continue to work. The required wait is usually about 20 minutes and it will start again. I replaced the ignition switch in my steering column about four times (why four is another story) and the problem persisted.
Web research indicates the starter motor should be replaced, that because the starter is close to the exhaust manifold it can get quite hot and the phenomenon is called 'heat soak' where the electrical conductivity within the starter becomes overwhelmed by the heat, raising the resistance to the point where it will not conduct adequately. But I just replaced the starter motor and the problem is still the same! I am quite perplexed. I was so sure that would solve it.
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I have a 1981 Toyota pickup. when i start her. she starts fine, but sometimes she will idle fine, and then suddenly refuse to. it seems to be random. i can keep her running if i keep my foot on the gas just a little, to keep her rpm's up. but have to put her into N and keep my right foot on the gas and my left on the brake to stop her when she refuses to idle. when she does this on the freeway, it just sputters and runs rough, but as long as i have the gas on, she keeps going.
I don't know what it is that regulates the idle to keep her going when my foot isn't on the gas. also her serpentine belt is slipping. the one attached to the alternator, i can see her charge voltage dropping when she squeals her belt. that i know how to fix, but i'm wondering if it's that, that is the issue? i was told that, but i don't think her serpentine belt has anything to do with her idling. i was told how to raise her idle on the throttle cable and the Idle screw, but is there something else that regulates her idling?
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Toyota Cressida 1981 5ME sedan. Problems with drivers kick panel fuse, breaker block due to water damage and ?. Long story! Some things ( windows, heater etc) work sometimes for months then dont work. Turn signals were first blew two fuses then quit. Flashers fine. Horn stopped then caught up at next left turn. etc. etc. Have replaced, tested, cleaned and am still doing so. At one time every warning light was lit. now only battery light is on, battery is charging. Windows and heater quit, they worked two weeks ago. and Haynes book and owners manual are incomplete and confusing.No Chiltons for this car. Had power steering pump replaced last year, mechanic moved, knocking noise began again in 2 months got worse. Just last week figured out that the nut on the power steering pump pulley was gone.
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I drove home to get something and when I come back out my car won't start, my power windows are down and will not function, no dash lights when key is turned to on position and it will not turn over, no radio, nothing seems to be working, only light I see is the door open indicator light and the security light is blinking but go's out when I insert my key into the ignition
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I have 2006 Toyota Corolla XRS, and I can't get it to start. Last week I tried to start my car, it just turned over and wouldn't fire. I left it for a couple days, and didn't try anything. I thought the fuel line might of been frozen, because I do live in Canada. This afternoon it warmed up, so I decided to try it out. It started the first try, no problem. I drove straight to the gas station, and bought some methyl hydrate to put in the tank. I drove around a bunch that day to mix it in. After leaving it for a few hours I went and tried to start my car, and it's doing the exact same thing again. Not sure what to do here.
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I have a 1994 Toyota Corolla, automatic transmission. I went to start it this afternoon and it made a clicking sound a few times then went completely dead. When I jumped it, the dashboard panels, radio, lights, doors, etc. began to work, but it still would not start. I have replaced the alternator about 1.5 yrs ago and had the battery checked then too (it was fine then). I have had this problem before about a year ago, but it did start when jumped. I didn't leave my lights on or any doors open, so I don't think I drained the battery.
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I own a 2005 corolla. Has 112k on it. Having issue with car not starting after driven to store and parked. Happened 4 times. Let car sit and it starts. Puzzled to what issue can be.
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Friday of last week my wife's Corolla refused to start. It cranked strongly but refused to catch. Fearing the worst my mechanic father-in-law assumed the timing belt had gone and we spent the weekend replacing that. The tensioner bearing had seized leaving the timing belt glazed but intact and, as far as we could tell, the timing was still correct. We replaced the belt and closed her back. Tired turning it over, nothing. Father-in-law noticed he didn't hear the fuel pump turn on when the key was placed in the ON position so he replaced that and the fuel filter. Turns out that the fuel pump only comes on when it's cranking? Who knew? We didn't. So that's been replaced.
At this point we have it towed to the shop where my father-in-law works(After this point all my information is second hand). We were going to let Big Al, their resident diagnostician, hook up his magic boxes and tell us what's wrong. Big Al suggests it's the distributor so that's changed but it still doesn't run. Big Al suggests that we set the timing incorrectly. That is torn apart again and, remember this is second hand information, "it was right but it was wrong". Whatever, they get it back together and it cranks and runs! Hooray!...but not so fast.
Next morning father-in-law arrives at work and gets bubkis. Cranks, sounds like it wants to start but won't. Somehow Big Al determines it's the PCM and that the car is getting "too much of a fuel pulse from the injectors" I ask if they are able to pull any codes from the computer and I'm told that they can't get any codes from ODBII scanner because it can't communicate with the car's computer. Also it's found that the catalytic converter is completely shot.
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My wife's '01 Corolla is having trouble starting. It doesn't turn over. At first I thought it might be the alternator, but when I prime it by pushing the gas, it starts right up. I'm thinking fuel pump or fuel line. It was also having some catalytic converter / 02 sensor issues, so wondering if that could be it too.
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I have a 2010 Toyota Corolla with 25k miles on it.
Yesterday something strange happened for the first time. I unlocked the car (double-clicking the button to unlock all 4 doors, out of habit), got in, turned the key in the ignition, and the dash and console flickered repeatedly while I held down the ignition but the engine wouldn't turn and it wasn't make any noise suggesting it was trying to after an initial sound. I found that if I got out, locked the car, and unlocked it once, that the car would then start (although it had to turn for a couple seconds longer than usual).
Then, a couple hours later when I came back to the car, the same thing happened again.
Note that I could turn the radio on and lights on even though the car wouldn't start - so its not the battery - and the tank is full.
The car drove normally once it was running.
Today it seems to be behaving normally, but I'm wondering if I should be concerned - if I should take it to get checked out while I'm still able to drive it.
What might be going on? Could it have to do with the computer? The security system? Some sensor?
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My 98 corolla has set for a year plus and the serpentine belt is stuck and will not let the motor turn over fast enough to start. The battery is fully charged, the gas tank is full, the belt is in good shape. The car ran just fine the one year I owned it before sitting so long. I sprayed the belt with belt dressing. Could the alternator or something else be stuck? Should I remove the belt and then reinstall it?
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I own a Toyota corolla 2005 . I had 4 occasions where the car would not start after I turned it off. If I let it sit and come back car starts. The electrical system was checked out but pep boys with no issue.
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I have a 2005 Toyota corolla with a little over 200,000 miles on it. My car was struggling to start (but would start after several seconds of turning the key. I figured it needed a new battery because the other battery was old. I had the battery replaced and they cleaned the terminals because they told me they were corroded. With the new battery though, the car is still struggling to start. What could be the issue?
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My 2009 Toyota Matrix will turn over but wont start. I cant figure out what is causing this. So far I have replaced the battery ( Just in case ) I checked the spark plugs , they are good , If I try and start it a couple of times I can sometimes get it to start but its really rough sounding and dies instantly even if I give it gas. I also hear the fuel pump engaging so I don't think that is it. I put 5 gallons of premium gas in the tank just to make sure she didn't get some bad gas since she was almost on empty. I am lost at what to do now.
I just went over 60k miles so no warranty anymore.
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I have recently been having a problem with my Toyota Corolla. It starts up fine in the morning, but after a couple of hours of driving with the A/C on and the running lights (which are always on), and the radio, when I shut the car off, it will not start without a jump. With my heavy duty cables it starts instantly with the jump but then I am afraid to turn it off again. It has a genuine Toyota battery that has the dots removed saying it was installed Dec. 2012 although it looks older. After driving for a couple of hours the battery should be fully charged right? Or, does having the A/C and lights on suck up to much juice?
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I have a 1992 Toyota Corolla that will not start in the summers when the engine gets hot This is the 3rd summer it has happened as I attempt to run errands on the weekend and make several stops. After the 2nd or 3rd location, the car will not start. I must wait 30-45 min. for the car to cool down. I have called tow trucks before and by the time they get to me they are able to start the car. They always check the battery and tell me it is fine. I even bought a new battery just to make sure the first summer it happened. Obviously something is heating up, but what?
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My 2006 would not start today after I got gas. I drove the car for an hour with no problems. I then stopped to get gas it would not start. I knew the engine was still warm because i had just stopped after driving for an hour. yet the temp gauge read cold. After a while of trying to start the car with it only cranking, not turning over I waited. After waiting a while the temp gauge started to work again showing a warm engine. The engine was also warm to the touch. I tried to start the car once the temp Gauge worked again and the car turned over with no problems and little effort.
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My '78 Corolla SR5 with 2TC engine, starts sometimes, and sometimes not. If she has rested in the carport for a few days, she cranks right over and goes like blazes. After a twenty-mile run, if I shut her off, she won't start again. Not a sound not a click nothing. But if I leave her alone for a couple days, she cranks right over. I need to take the old girl through emissions pretty soon. I don't want her to go into a coma in the emissions bay. Her mechanics can find nothing wrong.
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About a month ago I went to get into my car and it would not start. It tried to but after testing things with my neighbor there didn't seem to be consistent spark. So I bought a new distributor. Got it installed and the car worked great. Then after about a week we had a heavy rain while I was driving. The car shut off and wouldn't start. After the rain was over for about an hour I went to look over the car and it started. I thought with the heavy rain something got wet. Then things really went down hill. A day or so later when I went to start the car it didn't want to start and when it did it would misfire. Later that day the car started fine but would only run right if the engine was warmed up.
I tried covering the car completely with a tarp, no change. My cousin who is a skilled mechanic said he was pretty sure that the issue was the new distributor. So I got a used one, not wanting to pay another large amount again. Put that in the car and no change. So I pulled the plugs on the car. Plugs 1 and 4 had a heavy carbon build up on the tips with pitting in the carbon. I had had them replaced, with the wires back in October. So I replaced the plugs and coated the wires in liquid electrical tape. Car started fine like it does in the afternoons. Nest day it was raining and I went to see what the car would do. It started! I drove it that day with no issue at all. The next day I went to start the car thinking my issues where over. The issue has returned. I changed out the plugs with new ones that night. Car started fine that night. Next day the car is still not wanting to start and misfires when it does. It has been damp but covering it doesn't change anything.
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I have a 1996 Toyota corolla. it has been working fine until recently. I had problem starting the car intermittently. When I turned the key, it sounds like it cranks but the car would not start. If I tried it again after a minute or two, it would start again. It happens twice to me already so far. It has been around 4000 miles since my last oil change. And my engine oil has been leaking slowly for years (probably due to bad gasket) and I checked regularly and made sure the Engine oil is filled up to Full level. I haven't brought it to a mechanics yet but I would like to know what could be the issue.
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