Trouble With My Avensis

[Chantelle Atkins]

Hi There,

Just wanted to ask if i try and start my Toyota Avensis and nothing happens, does that mean the Battery is dead or could it be something else?

Regards

sam

[FROSTYBALLS]

Do the lights come on on the dashboard? When you try to start the car, do you just get a clicking sound?

[Harry Carri]

Hi,

As a Battery ages and approaches failure there is often a little bit of warning. The starter motor will not turn the engine over as quickly as it once did and can slow down as you are trying to start the car particularly on a cold morning when the voltage on a Battery drops due to the low temperature.

So if you have dahboard warning lights and a click but no start as descrbed above that could well be an exhausted Battery but may well start following a charge or a jump start.

Starter motors can get "lazy" over the years and the solenoid can stick. Rocking the car in gear with the ignition OFF can unstick it or a gentle tap to the starter motor with the handle of a hammer or similar.

If there are no dashboard warning lights when the ignition key is turned to through the positions to ignition then possibly the connection to the battery has worn loose and no longer connects to make a circuit so a quick tighten up on the nuts and bolts on the leads that connect to the battery may do the trick.

Assuming the immobiliser is working as it should the other possible cause would be a worn ignition switch. Then you would get dashboard warning lights but when the key is turned to it 's fullest extent against the spring to start the car nothing happens. No noise it is as if the immobiliser has cut in. Then the car will start with a push / bump start however they are not good news for catalytic converters. The switch failed on my 1998 Avensis last year. I had very little warning. The day before there was a short delay when the ignition key was in the start position then the car started. The next day it didn't. There is an excellent set of instructions with photos on how to change this switch on here. It took half an hour and only needed a torch or lamp a screwdriver set and a new switch. The bad news is the switch is only avaiable from Toyota main dealers and was 60 quid.

Well happy hunting. Hope it is a simple fix.

Matt

[Chantelle Atkins]

Hi, thanks very much for the reply. When we turn the key in the ignition nothing happens at all, and no lights come on on the dashboard whatsoever. just nothing. the day before it was all fine, had no problems or warning signs at all. It was just dead the next morning, as i say, no lights, no sounds, nothing.

Also it seems all the electrics have gone, as we can unlock the drivers door with the key, but then cannot open the other doors by pressing the release button on the drivers door. My husband thinks it has been struck by lightning as we had a storm the night before, but i would have thought there would be obvious signs of this? ie marks or burns?

Any further help appreciated!

Chantelle