Does it only not start after sitting for a day or two? Could it be that you have a parasitic loss that is draining your battery?
Vehicle Starting Failure Diagnosis - Expert Help Needed
- Thread starter kah1593
- Start date
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bloc
SILVER Star
Just my gut, but I’d be zeroing in on troubleshooting or replacing the starter switch.
Sorry to hear of the troubles. You seem to have hit all the usual suspects.
Some clarification and questions:
1) Upon no start, I'm understanding there's no crank. But all the lights on dash stay lit in that they don't dim or go out correct?
2) I assume when you say you changed the starter, you also changed the solenoid/relay (smaller cylinder) that piggybacks on the starter?
3) Leave door or window open, and depress starter... in the split second after depressing the start button, you should be able to hear solenoid/relay activate. It's much more clear when there's no cranking, but it sounds like a little motor under the car. This is the main relay that powers the starter. When it doesn't start, do you hear it or is it radio silence?
Troubleshooting ideas:
1) Trace the main power cable that goes to the starter. Find where it terminates on the other end. Clean and tighten that junction.
2) Engine ground strap. Clean and tighten its junctions
3) Look for the key immobilizer status lights. Perhaps an intermittent immobilizer issue.
Some clarification and questions:
1) Upon no start, I'm understanding there's no crank. But all the lights on dash stay lit in that they don't dim or go out correct?
2) I assume when you say you changed the starter, you also changed the solenoid/relay (smaller cylinder) that piggybacks on the starter?
3) Leave door or window open, and depress starter... in the split second after depressing the start button, you should be able to hear solenoid/relay activate. It's much more clear when there's no cranking, but it sounds like a little motor under the car. This is the main relay that powers the starter. When it doesn't start, do you hear it or is it radio silence?
Troubleshooting ideas:
1) Trace the main power cable that goes to the starter. Find where it terminates on the other end. Clean and tighten that junction.
2) Engine ground strap. Clean and tighten its junctions
3) Look for the key immobilizer status lights. Perhaps an intermittent immobilizer issue.
RET2
SILVER Star
3 Great ideas!
RET2
SILVER Star
It's sounding more and more like an immobilizer issue? Do you have a factory remote start module? If it works you could rule out the dash switch and the brake pedal interface?
Start sequence is lock button short short hold
This wouldn't be the first time the immobilizer has been identified as a problem in a 200-series. I'd attack this next. Pay particular attention to the blinky security light. It should go completely off upon the vehicle recognizing the key. If it continues to blink, the immobilizer is active. May need to replace key fob battery. Try your other key fob if you have a second one. Or hold the key fob close to the starter button.
Toyota Immobilizer System
There are quite a few questions surrounding the Toyota Immobilizer system that customers ask us. In this thread we will try to answer a few of them and explain the system in general. What is an engine immobilizer? The engine immobilizer is a state-of-the-art anti-theft system. When you insert...
www.toyoheadquarters.com
Engine ground straps can be an issue. They tend to be low and near the bottom of the engine bay. The 200-series seems to have two, which would mitigate any single point of failure, but potentially worthwhile to still check.
gaijin
GOLD Star
gaijin
GOLD Star
You may also want to try the Emergency Start Procedure (page 638 of the Owner's Manual for my 2013LC):
HTH
gaijin
GOLD Star
Did you try the Emergency Start Function I posted above?
Good that you already did the standard troubleshooting. Still potentially worthwhile to watch the flashing security light. The issue may not be on the key transponder side. And may reside in the vehicle onboard immobilizer receiver side.
You do mention that you've tried remote start. I don't know if the immobilizer is bypassed in this case and should always start, or the key is sending the transponder code in another fashion. Which to me would somewhat minimize that it's an immobilizer issue.
Separately, do pay attention to the quiet solenoid motor sound under the vehicle, especially upon no start. It will help rule out whether it's a power issue to the main start motor, or a logic/relay/power issue upstream in the starting system.
I had this issue about two years ago. I finally took it into Toyota and they correctly fixed it.... Both my mechanics couldnt diagnose what was wrong with it....
They replaced the vehicle immobilizer, the starter button, and six months of frustration vanished.
My two cents....Take it to a dealership. If they cant find the problem take it to another dealership.
They replaced the vehicle immobilizer, the starter button, and six months of frustration vanished.
My two cents....Take it to a dealership. If they cant find the problem take it to another dealership.
Just a thought... maybe pop off the lower kick panels, and look behind the glove box for water leaks? Clogged sunroof drains? Water intrusion in the fresh air inlet?
gaijin
GOLD Star
