No start no crank

S

sugjavier

Member
Well I had a nice Christmas till I was on my way home yesterday and my car wouldn't start.

I have a 2001 Limited with the "red security light" on the center console + the sticker on the window that says "this vehicle is equipped with Toyota Theft-Deterrent System"
Other than that - I have had an aftermarket viper remote start installed a few years ago.

As I was messing with it on a crazy winter afternoon, putting the positive/negative cables back on the battery triggered the alarm (horns + it locked me out of the car with the key in the seat). Good thing I had 2 master chipped keys created last winter for a similar non start/no crank issue that ended up resolving itself and hasn't been an issue again till yesterday. My brother ended up driving to where I was and gave me a master key so I can unlock my door and try to start it.

Anyways back to the issue.
  • So I put the key in, no green light around the key area (I can only get it to appear sometimes after disconnecting/reconnecting the battery).
  • If I leave it on ACC position - the clock turns on and shortly after the radio turns on (goes to the default tuner / static since the battery was disconnected)
  • If I put it to ON position - it cuts out everything
  • If I try to go on START position - no cranks, I don't even go to this step unless I can get the green light on around the key area first
  • If I try to use the key fob to unlock/lock the doors - it doesn't always work on the 1st try

Checks I've done so far:
  1. Voltage of the battery posts is at 12.4 V - its really cold here but that should be enough. Battery is a Northstar 24F AGM battery installed 2yrs ago.
  2. The only time I got it started and drove home yesterday was I unplugged both positive/negative terminals on the battery and tightened them back in. I tested voltage while it was running and it was 14.3 V (doesn't this mean the alternator is charging properly?)
  3. When I got home - I have a CTEK (56-353) 12v multicharger and I put my agm battery on it just in case for a few hours till it said full charge
  4. I replaced the key fob battery (CR2016) just in case
  5. I tightened the ground(s) by the battery

Now I tried to do the same thing I did yesterday and can't get it started at all. I will probably call AAA tomorrow morning and have them diagnose and tow it to the mechanic unless they figure it out.

It looks like my issue may be the factory alarm system or the aftermarket remote start - I have no clue on how to disable these though so I can test.

Any other ideas ????????

I didn't want to revive old threads but right now I am looking at the contact starter as that could be the issue. I will add that to the list to check when it gets to my mechanic. Buying the parts for those now and also this big 3 upgrade kit
 
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Lol the AAA guy came out and jump started it and everything works again like he got the magic hands.. He said it's not the alternator or the battery though based on his tests. It's like a gremlin per his words. Cuz he saw the same symptoms I wrote down and said I was right.
Even the remote start works again, we tried turning it on and off with key and remote start like 10 successful out of 10 tries on its own.

He mentioned it could also be the ECU? That's why it worked for me the other day when I disconnected and reconnected the positive and negative cables.
 
First, I didn't see you say anything about trying to start it with the remote start when this happened. Did you try that, and did you get the same result as turning the key?

Second, I don't trust aftermarket remote starts because they seem to be able to do weird things when they fail.

My son bought a used 2009 Corolla with an aftermarket remote start. Within a couple months his battery began to get weak and eventually failed. Replaced that. Later, he told me it made a weird sound when he started it. My troubleshooting boiled it down to the starter staying energized after the engine started and the key was released - usually for just a second or two, but long enough that the engine was spinning the starter pretty fast. Had the starter diagnosed and replaced at the dealership.

During the above-mentioned troubleshooting, I had my voltmeter (ammeter) inserted into the circuit looking for a parasitic drain, and saw 200-250mA, fluctuating. Then the meter pegged a couple times, and its internal fuse blew. A couple minutes after reconnecting the battery, the starter energized briefly. I removed the covers from the the steering column and found the two heavy-gauge wires with 30-amp fuses on them, and removed the fuses. Problem solved, including the parasitic drain.

As far as I can tell, this thing had been actuating randomly for some time, or else had developed an intermittent internal short or something.

If I were you, I'd identify the fuses for the remote start, just so you know where they are. Make sure you can start the truck with those fuses removed. Then, if this happens again, you can remove the fuses more quickly and try starting. I know your symptoms are different from mine, but removing those fuses (and unplugging any other cables from the remote start) will at least electrically remove the remote start from the equation.
 
So last winter, similar issue occurred but the key wouldn't start it, however the remote start does.
It all just started working after couple days of the shop guys troubleshooting so they never figured out exact root cause.

This winter it wouldn't start with key or remote start till AAA jump started it. Which is bugging him too cuz my portable jump starter had higher amps and he said that should've worked.

I will get with the place that wired my aftermarket remote start just so I know where that fuse is like you said, and can pull it anytime and it'll still start so it makes troubleshooting easier.
 
I have a similar issue in my 99 sr5, drive around the hills for a few hours, came home and filled the tank. Went to check the gas gauge and the car has no power and won’t crank. I hear a click when I turn it to on and again when off.
 
Kody99SR5TRD said:
I have a similar issue in my 99 sr5, drive around the hills for a few hours, came home and filled the tank. Went to check the gas gauge and the car has no power and won’t crank. I hear a click when I turn it to on and again when off.
Click to expand...

Was it all of a sudden? Are you sure the battery is good and the cables are tight? Sounds like the starter is bad because it's just clicking although the battery could be dead (would be more like a rapid clicking sound). Did you feel like the car was rough to start up in the past when it was running? These were my exact symptoms on my Honda Civic and it ended up being the starter but you did mention you have no power though.
 
I replaced the contacts, and replaced fuses, ran for a day, the exhaust bracket cot caught on the drive shaft in the rear the next day before I figured out that’s where the sound was coming from so I replaced rotors and breaks. After that it would stall when I would press on the gas and the battery won’t hold the charge. Idles low.
 
Bad Luck said:
This to me says your problem is key/ignition cylinder/ignition switch. It shouldn't turn everything off in the on position even if the anti theft is enabled
Click to expand...

So, if everything goes on in “on”, what’s the issue? Having this right now….
 
I turn the key, the power comes on, but won’t start — no cranking as if you tried to start with the EFI fuse pulled; and no clicking as if the battery were dead.
 
blairracd said:
I’m not sure and didn’t think to check… and it’s at a friend’s house so can’t check at the moment. However, every other light inside and out had power.
Click to expand...
A functioning ignition switch will cut power to the radio in the start position. If the radio stays on when in the start position I would suspect a bad ignition switch.
 
Update for future readers….. Make sure your shifter is not stuck in between gears and is fully in park…..

Jesus, that was embarrassing. At least that’s all it was though.
 
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