Starting Problems On Avensis? Solution.

[tarbel]

thanks mate brilliant ...only thing i would add is after i finnished i realised i should have tightened hard screw

with needle nosed pliers....

tarbel

[tarbel]

thanks mate brilliant ...only thing i would add is after i finnished i realised i should have tightened hard screw

with needle nosed pliers....

tarbel

[Krugerrand]

Hi - great workshop! Had an identical problem with my X-reg Avensis. Got a replacement part on eBay for £37.50. It really is important not to disconnect switches 'A' and 'B' as outlined in Rvall's workshop - I think they have something to do with the immobiliser system. Unfortunately I did disconnect them - and experienced some major electrical problems..! After some serious sweating I disconnected the Battery and left it for a while - this seemed to reset everything and all is fine again. The top screw is a serious pain in the butt - I would recommend some blue-tac or similar just to hold it in place prior to the fit although a set of long nosed pliers worked well for me. Great thread. Thanks. :D

[Mr Neil]

more than likely same issue.

[heatlover]

Hey Rvall

Thankyou so much for putting this tutorial on here.

I was having the same problems as most people seem to have had on this thread but was dreading taking my car to the garage pennies being tight etc. Anyway looked through your tutorial and thought i'd give it a go.

Well I can hardly believe it but i've done it! I'm not at all mechanical, only do usual things fill up, tyres, check oil etc, and I'm a Woman-blonde as well!! Only took 40 mins too.

I'm well chuffed!

Thank you :) :) :) :)

[Echolalia]

Update - another source for switch - I had this problem and changed the switch. (thanks to these instructions by Rvall!!!) I bought the switch from an eBay seller for £37.50 incl. P&P. The eBay seller is autoelectricsuk . The switch arrived in 2 days. The part number of the switch is 84450-02010. (this was correct for my V-reg Avensis 2.0) The eBay listing says this part is for Avensis' from 1997 - 2005. Not a genuine Toyota part but the quality seems better than the one I removed. This is a very easy repair just follow the directions exactly and don't rush. Thanks again to Rvall for posting this!!

[raphaell]

right guys i have the same problem but with cold weather so gonna give it a try at the switch already replaced the starter motor and it worked for 2 days until it started raining took the starter back for them to repair it properly and got there he hocked up to theyr bench and surprised me it worked so gonna give a try to changing the switch very helpfull this workshop

[Rvall]

Hi all,

thanks for your comments and I'm very glad I could help you all with this. My thanks goes again to the person who informed me about how this was done as stated in my first post.

Might say that my car still starts perfectly. ;-)

And as Krugerrand pointed out above, please do NOT disconnect the connectors A and B. Just move them to the side as much as possible, you can do the work anyway. This saves you some problems later on...

[telsun]

I've just followed your advice also. Same symptoms with the hot weather and intermittent problem. When I took it to a garage it typically started fine so they said they can't do anything with it....Yesterday when it would not start at all even with some serious key wiggling, which I presume was due to the very hot weather, I decided that something needs to be done. Thus here I am adding my thanks to the many others for saving me a fortune by buying the genuine Toyota part (£68) and taking 20 minutes to do a very simple job, as others have said, cars are really not my thing so I'm well chuffed.

Many thanks.

[jw67]

Changed my Corolla switch yesterday after finding a breaker in Birmingham who came up with a good used switch for £20.00 delivered!Took about 20 minutes from beginning to end and now I have instant starting again

[headlamps5]

Thanks very much for your help. I am no mechanic and really welcomed the photos and instructions. The problem was diagnosed by the garage as the starter motor which I had rebuilt for £40 but this didn't solve the problem. Read your post, picked up part from Toyota and fitted in 40 minutes. Car now starts when it should.

This is a short workshop for changing the ignition switch on an Avensis 2.0 1999.

I've had problems with starting the engine since beginning of summer. The symptoms were like this;

when turning the key to the START position, nothing happens. You have to, either turn it from ON to START a few times or wiggle the key while holding it in the START position, to get connection in the lock to start the motor. :ffs:

This is due to a faulty switch behind the locking barrel, that has been worn down so it does not alway connect. This has nothing to do with the imobilizer system or coding of keys, it is only a mechanical problem and will not be solved by re-coding the keys or such.

Be ware, the dealer gave me the wrong part on my first order;

I described the symptoms and where the part is located and they knew exactly what I needed, after a long search in their computer they came up with the part I nedded. It was not in stock so they ordered it.

What I got was a part called something like Coding Unit/Computer Unit remote control (PN 89780-05011).

It's a part in black plastic casing with the front ring around the keyhole (with the text ACC/ON/START) and a short cable with a connector. This is the receiver of the coded keys and it is the wrong part, also it's more expensive and doesn't solve this problem.

When I called them on the phone and described the symptoms again and told them I've got the wrong part, they looked again and came back to me saying that it was the correct part I've got.

After a little convincing that I had a mechanical problem and not a computer problem, he discussed with another guy and finally they found the correct part.

I've had a lot of help from member GnzYza in 'Problems with starting', where you can read how it all started.

Once again, thank GnzYza. :D

1. First you need to get the new part from a Toyota dealer.

The part you need is the SWITCH ASSY, partnumber 84450-02010 (at least for my Avensis -99, but it gives you something to start with at Toyota).

2. Disassembling.

You'll need a cross/pozidrive screwdrive of medium size, that's all you need.

(It might come in handy with some kind of light because it's rather dark behind the dashboard)

First remove the dash casing below the steering wheel, there are 2 black screws, one to the left...

...and one to the right and also the golden screw under the cowling.

Turn the steering wheel so you'll see the last 2 screws behing the wheel...

to the left...

...and to the right.

3. Carefully pull the dash casing a bit outwards in the bottom and slide it down to remove it. There are 3 things stuck to this part; the wire for the front hood, an airtube and a wire with connector on it. These can remain in place, just put the casing on the floor.

4. Separate the top and bottom parts of the cowling, there are only small plastic lockers holding them together now, so a little bending with a screwdriver in the joint between them would do it. The joint is on both the left and the right side, you'll see it clearly if you look close.

The top one could needs not to be removed, but the bottom one does. It might be easier if you loosen the locking handle for adjusting the height of the stearing wheel.

5. Now you should have access to everything under the cowling. Don't be alarmed, it is not so much you have to care about, it is just very much cabling in a very tight space.

Locate the rear of the ignition barrel, where you'll find following parts attached to it:

A and B are just connectors placed on the Switch Assy, remove them, but don't disconnect them.

C is the connector on the Switch Assy. Disconnect it and fold it away.

D is the actual Switch Assy. The arrow points to one of the two screws that holds it in place. (The easy one...)

6. Change the Switch Assy

Remove the two screws that holds the Switch Assy to the rear of the barrel. One is easy to get at, but the other one is rather tricky to access.

The screws might fall off so don't loose them!

Once they are removed, pull the case of the Switch Assy away from the barrel. You can't pull it off all the way, so you'll have to turn it 45 degrees and try to get it out sideways. There are no loose parts there so you are rather free to remove it any way you can. Just keep in mind how you did it since you have to get the new part in, the same way.

7. Assembling.

Place the screw that was hard to get at, in it's hole on the new Switch Assy before placing it in position. It is very hard to get it in place through all cables.

Now, just tighten the screws for the Switch Assy, re-connect the cable (is only one way), fit the two connectors you removed in the beginning, and you're finshed with the hard part.

Fit the bottom part of the cowling again, remember to have all plastic notches in their place. The parts will lock together nicely, fit the 2 screws behind the steering wheel again and also the bottom one.

Place the dash casing in it's place; top first them push in the bottom. Screw it tight in place.

8. Finished.

This is not a hard work and it took me around 25 minutes (including taking the photos). After that my car has started without a problem.

The Switch Assy costed 900 SEK (> £60) but the garage told me they would charge me around 4500 SEK (>£300) to do the change. I don't know how they'd charge me so much for this easy job and now that I know how easy it was, I'd never accept a bill from them with that amount.

I hope this workshop will help somebody in the future, if so, please post you comments on it.

Good luck. :)

From Metman

Many, many thanks Rvall. You are a life-saver. It was very thoughtful of you to post this workshop in changing the switch assembly on the Avensis. Mine is a 1998 1.8 GS model and the starting problems had been driving me mad for a few weeks. Expert help seemed to be in short supply. Many mechanics were reluctant to get involved in tracing an obscure fault without giving them an open-ended aggreement to change lots of components. I was unwilling to commit to a very large bill. Mention was made of changing starter motor and solenoid etc. Finding your comprehensive guide was like manna from heaven. Getting the part was little trouble and fitting it was fairly straightforward using your guide. It does require a bit of manual dexterity but it was all worth it!

Once again many, many thanks!

[dnivdniv]

Great workshop Rvall. Did take me a little longer (90 mins ) as I had to work out how to get off the rear screw. As I dont have all the tools I found the following piece of equipment, a right angled screwdriver, that is vital in changing the ignition assembly

This tool makes the job possible

My Avensis has 180k and developed this problem over the last 6 months. Got worse all of a sudden. Found your article Thursday and ordered the part on Thur night from eBay at £37.50.

Ebay avensis ignition assembly

Arrived Saturday and swapped out ( after using the right handed screwdriver). Problem has now gone - main worry was MOT tester would struggle to start car !

[fractureman]

I Am just about to start this job on my 1998 1.8 GS as it has exactly the problem stated. Will be buying from the same eBay shop others have used & fitting next Monday as don't get paid till Friday. Will report back when it's done.

Thanks again for this How-To much appreciated :)

[fractureman]

All done in 20 minutes, hardest part was seperating the 2 bits of plastic around the steering wheel, then just 2 screws to remove & found it easy to put them back on.

Starts first time now everytime :) Thanks again for this

[martsonline]

I am so glad I found this forum after I was quoted 442.42 for fitting a new Ignition barrel / receiver.

I bought the part off eBay as shown on the link in a previous post. Delivered next day & I fitted it in 12 minutes. Cost 37.50.

Problem fixed

[todor uzunov]

Hi Rvall,

When I can fix something I prefer to do it myself, I am so glad I found this How-to.

I would like to thank you for your post here and time you spent to write it.

Really appreciate the great job you did!

Thanks again.

Greetings from BULGARIA

[gruby]

Great post! Thanks a lot to Rvall + contributors!

My Avensis 2L TD reg 2000 started giving startup problems few months ago, everything was pointing to the starter, which I serviced and even replaced solenoid.

See my post: http://www.toyotaown...opic=138814&hl=

But in the end it was the ignition switch, the white plastic bit where barrel's finger slots in

**** I FIXED IT WITHOUT SWITCH REPLACEMENT****, just used RJ45 cable isolation which perfectly fit onto that finger (see post above for details + pictures)

WHROOM!!! My car starts perfect :) Time will show for how long this workaround is good :)

#### edited 23/09

The woraround did not work well - so I purchased the replacement switch from toyota dealer

[eDrive]

Great post Rawll. Well explained and documented. The wife must have been very impressed!

One thing though, do you have any idea how to find out if it's the starter motor that's gone or if it's the ignition switch that's gone?

My 04 Avensis 2.0 vvti TSpirit had "hesitated" for a split-second on two occasions before starting, then the next day, it's just not turning over.

There's no "Click" just silence. The Battery is fine, it was tested. I've pushed the key in as far as I can to see if maybe it's the Ignition Switch Assy, but there's no difference there. Rather than go and buy another starter or get that one reconditioned, and rather than go and buy a new switch assy, how do I tell which is causing the problem? The car has done 70,000 miles. Thanks.

[eDrive]

I've bitten the bullet and bought an ignition assy for my 04 2.0 TSpirit. I've been bumping the car for a week, have hit the starter motor with a hammer a few times, sprayed WD40 on it and the car hasn't started or tried to start with the key. It just suddenly stopped starting, so I'm relatively sure it'll be the ignition assy that's causing the problem. I've taken off the casing around the steering column, but the electrics look pretty damn different from your 99 Avensis Rvall. The assy isn't obvious to see. Does anyone know if there's a tutorial or even a manual with this job in it for a 04 Avensis TSpirit? Thanks

[cisman]

Excellent advise and tutorial. Followed it to the word and now the car starts first time everytime.

Great work mate.. keep it up

[rootybetaone]

I've found an instruction how to fix the swith assy very easily

http://board.toyota-forum.de/showthread.php/52236-Workshop-Avensis-T22-springt-schlecht-an-Z%C3%BCndschalter-wechseln-%28Anleitung-mit-Bildern%29/page2

although the instruction is in german it is easy to understand due to the attached pictures!

to fix the switch array, you only have to put a small piece of metal into the switch, where the starting processes have wasted the plastic over the years

the repair takes about 1 - 1,5 h and I've saved a lot of money

[onetrackmindless]

Great thread. I just popped the ignition switch back on after repairing it and car starts without any of the jiggling that I've become accustomed to. I cleaned up the contacts inside as per prufeda's post and then used the advice on the german forum that rootybetaone posted.

Great stuff!

I'm a little worried because I was little reckless and disconnected cables A and B. However this does not seem to have had any effect. The car seems to run without any issue, so i am hoping that I won't experience the trouble that krugerrand described earlier.

Thanks to everyone for making life easier and keeping costs down.

Cheers, Tim

Edit - 1 week and 1000 miles later, the car is running great. I think i must have got away with disconnecting cable A and B. Success!

[Chalkywhite]

Been having the same starting problems on my 99 Avensis 1.8GS, especially in hot weather. Went on to eBay and ordered a new starter switch for £38.99. Just fitted it in 20 mins and seems to be working well, thanks for the advise.

[Nigemeister]

I bought my Avensis 1.8 Se 1999 recently and the lady had told me it has starting problems when left in direct sunlight on hot days. Not experienced this yet have so far managed to park in some form of shade, but have noticed that the car will not start with the key one way up in the barrel. Turn it over and it starts straight away. Wondered if this was related to fault described here. Car has done 154k miles.

[Mickald]

Very useful. Thanks for this. I managed to fit the switch specified and got it from eBay for £37.50. That second screw is a pig to get at! Needed blue tac or magnetic screwdriver. Unfortunately the starter is still not working from the ignition switch. I can get it to turn over by shorting out the starter relay output pins which starts the engine ok if the ignition key is turned on but unfortunately if the car stalls you have to get under the bonnet to restart the engine with the shorting link. The starter relay is functional, the Battery is good, the ignition switch has been replaced, the 30 amp fuse and the starter fuse are good but it still won't turn over by turning the ignition key. Is there a switch on the neutral/Park that could be faulty. If so how can I check it? I've just checked the voltage to the starter relay when the key is turned to the start position and it is only getting 9Volts when I would have thought it should be getting 12V+ . It looks as if there is some resistance in the +ve feed to the relay. I'm out of ideas to fix the problem. Anybody got any other ideas? Thanks for any help you can give me.

Update: Thanks to 'Rootybetaone' the problem is now fixed 9/7/14. Putting a metal insert in the switch solved the problem but be careful the first time I did it the starter worked but all the other electrics failed. The metal insert I had put in was too deep and it distorted the switch. I put my other switch back with a thinner sliver of metal that only protruded a fraction from the slot and the car is now working ok.

Mike