NEED Help

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Joined
Sep 20, 2016
Threads
8
Messages
46
Location
Alabama
We have replaced the battery in the vehicle and in the Key FOB. My mother in law has since unlocked and started the vehicle. Today she went to drive it and the vehicle will not start. The alarm light (the one with the car and lock symbol) is flashing along with the battery light. Does anyone know what is happening? i am overseas and am not able to be there as she and her brother in law try to trouble shoot it. Sounds like it is something simple, but I cannot tell. He just wants to disconnect the battery and reconnect it. He already tried jumping it (which may have compounded the problem).
 
Definitely a difficult thing to diagnose remotely... I'd start with the basics such as verifying the battery voltage, verifying that the cables are connected to the correct terminals, and verifying that the terminal connections are tight. Then, try another battery in the key.

If that doesn't work then you'd need to start debugging some rarer scenarios such as chewed-up harnesses from rodents.
 
Any more clues as to what does not start means? Does it crank at all?

If you believe the problem is key fob battery related, try the things documented here:
 
Try starting the LC with the fob pushed against the push start button. I have purchased bad fob batteries before.
 
No other clues so far, all I know is that all of the batteries have been changed out. Car will not crank. Once again, this doesn't sound like a problem that a lot of folks have had, which means to me that it is an operator issue. Unfortunately i am not physically there. This is probably something dumb like not having your foot on the brake when pushing the start button. I just wanted to see if there was any silly little tricks that might work, if it is not the brake thing.
 
She claims to have tried it, to no avail. It will be towed to the dealership this week...ugh.
 
Please update us on what the problem was, so the thread has closure.
 
UPDATE, and closeout. Since I am deployed overseas, my mother-in-law is keeping my beloved 200. The reason that it had the issues described above is that she didn't start it and drive it enough. All of the computer stuff in it drew power from the battery to where it reacted the way it did. She felt she was starting it and driving it enough. But either she wasn't letting it run long enough, or wasn't driving it long enough. Toyota put a new battery and problem solved!
 
UPDATE, and closeout. Since I am deployed overseas, my mother-in-law is keeping my beloved 200. The reason that it had the issues described above is that she didn't start it and drive it enough. All of the computer stuff in it drew power from the battery to where it reacted the way it did. She felt she was starting it and driving it enough. But either she wasn't letting it run long enough, or wasn't driving it long enough. Toyota put a new battery and problem solved!

Thank you for posting the resolution.

Sometimes these things float off into oblivion, and it’s always better to “close out,” as you put it.

Take care, and glad your mom-in-law has a working vehicle now.
 

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