Celica gen 6 Dead Battery - Now immobiliser active? Key unlinked?

[Asemblance]

Hi All,

I'm having a 'mare with my 1997 (gen 6) celica at the moment, and wondering if anyone can help..

The Battery died a while back, got around to replacing it and started up first time fine.

However I then left a few days and tried to start up again to actually drive it, wouldn't start.. Battery is definitely ok, engine seems to turn over fine, just won't start. So I'm guessing this is the immobiliser kicking in; Could the transponder in the master key somehow have become unlinked to the ECM? If so, what is the process to get the key linked up again??

Really appreciate any advice anybody can give! Thanks,

A

[Mike169]

Hi Anthony.

Try disconnecting the Battery, just the black earth wire will do, make sure the drivers door is open and the key out, this is incase the car self locks, then after say 10 minutes reconnect the earth wire on the Battery and see what the car does.

Regards Mike.

[Asemblance]

Thanks Mike - Tried disconnecting the Battery for a while last night - didn't fix the problem unfortunately (vid below). I'll try once more when I get in, can't hurt.

Vid link (youtube):

Is this an issue which sounds familiar? Hope I'm not barking up the wrong tree. But timing seems too much of a coincidence to be unrelated to ECM somehow..

 

[Mike169]

Hi Anthony.

OK 2 silly questions, have you checked to see if you are getting a spark at the plugs and have you loosened a fuel pipe as close to the engine as possible to see if fuel is getting through? 

A test I would do is by a can of Easy Start, take the air filter out and using only a minimal amount of the product, it very inflammable and to much will blow your engine to pieces, give it short squirts whilst someone else cranks the engine over by the key and you feed then engine small amounts of the Easy Start and see if it gets the engine running and if it does start just keep squirting small amounts, this will eliminate the immobiliser.

Can you get the cam cover off just enough to make sure both cams are going round, again someone else cranking it on the key and you holding the cover back just enough to makes sure all is going round correctly.

Any of these are possible as you just to have to eliminate possible faults one by one.

Good luck, Mike.

[Asemblance]

Thanks Mike,

A quick follow up for anyone searching this in the future - I went to do as you suggested above, started with disconnecting the Battery again (had already tried this a couple of times and left overnight) and removed/checked all fuses. Lo and behold, suddenly returned to life!

I can only assume that initial guesses were right and it was related to the immobiliser, removing the fuses maybe gave the ECM the reboot it needed. It did struggle a bit starting up first time but seems ok since.

So if anyone else experiences this problem - I recommend persevering with disconnecting Battery and remove/check/replace fuses. Still a bit of a mystery exactly what happened, but glad its sorted.. Thanks for everyone's advice.

A

[Mike169]

Hi Anthony.

First of all I am feeling proud to of helped you and even more proud that you have got your car working again.

At least you know if it happens again you know how to fix it but of course I question if your alarm is 'fit for purpose', i.e. have it removed or replace it for a new one?

We are a friendly bunch on here, much more than other Toyota Owners sites and advise is always free so to speak.and ask.

All the best mate, Mike.