Here's my problem:
Today, I ran an errand, and coming out in the pouring rain (of course) to drive home, my Toyota wouldn't start. Like, electronic ignition cutoff won't start. No lights, no electric, no nothing. I took the key out of the ignition, the alarm starts blaring, the lights start flashing. Great. So I got out of the car, put the key in the door to disarm the alarm. Fine. Got back in to restart it . . . everything on the dash starts blinking, and, absolutely no sound from the car. No starter click, nothing. Take the key out again, the car lights up and the alarm goes off. Again.
Went to open the hood after disarming the alarm. Opening the hood set the alarm off again. Checked the battery cables, the positive terminal is VERY loose, as in, I could actually lift it off no problem. Tried to tighten it with a wrench, no luck.
So, this happened about a month ago. I pulled the battery out (lots of corrosion on the neg terminal), ran it up to the shop, checked it, and it checked out fine. Cleaned off the terminal, stuck it back in the car, hooked everything up, NO PROBLEM! Started fine. It's been a month, and now it's doing it again (and, I have to wait for my hubby to bring me back to the car where I left it this morning, to try to clean off the terminals and hook it back up again). And, there's a pretty hefty amount of that yucky blue corrosion stuff, after just a month.
ANY idea what's happening here? I hate having it towed to the dealer and having them charge me out the whazoo if it's REALLY just a loose terminal, but if it's some kind of alarm relay that's on the fritz, I just have to bite the bullet and do it.
And as a ps . . . someone told me I could put vaseline on the terminals to prevent corrosion, is this safe?
Thanks in advance!!!
Today, I ran an errand, and coming out in the pouring rain (of course) to drive home, my Toyota wouldn't start. Like, electronic ignition cutoff won't start. No lights, no electric, no nothing. I took the key out of the ignition, the alarm starts blaring, the lights start flashing. Great. So I got out of the car, put the key in the door to disarm the alarm. Fine. Got back in to restart it . . . everything on the dash starts blinking, and, absolutely no sound from the car. No starter click, nothing. Take the key out again, the car lights up and the alarm goes off. Again.
Went to open the hood after disarming the alarm. Opening the hood set the alarm off again. Checked the battery cables, the positive terminal is VERY loose, as in, I could actually lift it off no problem. Tried to tighten it with a wrench, no luck.
So, this happened about a month ago. I pulled the battery out (lots of corrosion on the neg terminal), ran it up to the shop, checked it, and it checked out fine. Cleaned off the terminal, stuck it back in the car, hooked everything up, NO PROBLEM! Started fine. It's been a month, and now it's doing it again (and, I have to wait for my hubby to bring me back to the car where I left it this morning, to try to clean off the terminals and hook it back up again). And, there's a pretty hefty amount of that yucky blue corrosion stuff, after just a month.
ANY idea what's happening here? I hate having it towed to the dealer and having them charge me out the whazoo if it's REALLY just a loose terminal, but if it's some kind of alarm relay that's on the fritz, I just have to bite the bullet and do it.
And as a ps . . . someone told me I could put vaseline on the terminals to prevent corrosion, is this safe?
Thanks in advance!!!
