Avensis Diesel Intermittment Won't Start - Not Battery

[richiewey]

Hi

I wonder if anyone's come across this and could help me.

I've got a 2011 Avensis Tourer 2.0l diesel. On Tuesday morning it wouldn't start. The dash lights, TNS510 screen etc came on as normal, but as soon as I turned the key to start everything died. The car would attempt to turn over once or twice, but all the electrics failed, clock/time and stereo all reset.

I called out recovery and they jump started it and said that after a long drive it'd be fine, which it was until yesterday...

I popped out at lunchtime to go to our local sainsburys, and the same thing happened again. When recovery came out this time, they jumped it, and then tested the Battery which apparently was fine and fully charged. The alternator then checked out OK as well.

I took it straight to our local dealer (still under warranty), and they did same tests and got same results, and are pretty stumped - the car was showing no faults on the diagnostic system.

They have suggested that next time it goes like this that I should have it recovered to them, which is problematic because a) recovery will probably want to jump it first, and b) because of the electronic handbrake it'll take 20 mins of winding to get that disengaged!

I wondered if any of you kind people here had any idea what this could be? I was wondering starter motor - would that sticking draw enough amps to kill the internal electrics, and is an intermittent fault like this likely?

Thanks

[devbias]

Although not a Toyota I once had this kind of fault with my Mazda 6 which took a few visits to find.

My symptoms were turn the key to start and everything would go dead.

Lock the car and unlock and car would start. Couple of days later same thing would happen again.

Like Mazda I thought the problem lay with the immobiliser but it turned out to be a bad earth on the ignition circuit.

[t-spiritpete]

A dead short inside the starter motor could well cause your problem but also do not dismiss a faulty Battery, any one of the the 6 cells inside the Battery can fail and recover for a short while. As others have said bad connections can also give this fault, you need test equipment to see where the voltage is dropping off, could be on the low current control side or on the high current side like the starter motor or Battery and wiring.

Pete.

[cmia]

Well step number one would be to buy a volage meter.

Step two would be once you have this issue is to read the voltage on the Battery whilst attempting to crank it.

If voltage does not drop the issue probably likes with the main relay / efi fuses.

if voltage drops sharply starter motor / Battery issue / alternator