Re: 1995 Toyota Celica has trouble starting...


<lameazoid@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:1135105583.847179.256570@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> I've gotten a ton of different answers from google and cartalk.com and
> whatnot so I figure I'll try for another.
>
> I have a 1995 Toyota Celica, it's got a little over 100k on it but it
> runs decent otherwise. Occasionally, more recently (past few months)
> it will not start. There is a clicking noise but it won't always turn
> over. The accessories all work and such so I'm sure it's not the
> battery.
>

How old is the battery? If the battery is more than five years old,
consider replacing it.
A battery can have enough power to operate accessories but not quite enough
to start the car. That said, I doubt if a bad battery is the cause of the
ocndition because bad batteries generally do not get better. That is, once
they have a problem, the problem tends to get worse.

> It doesn't seem to be related to temperature, it's been cold in general
> but it has been conder on some days and it starts right up.
>
> For a while I thought it was related to the transmission since it
> occasionally seemed to work when I shifted the car through the gears
> with the clutch depressed or pressed the clutch a certain way. I'm
> thinking this was mostly just coincidence (ie something to do while I
> waited).
>

The only connection the starting system has to the transmission is the
clutch safety switch. Make sure there is nothing obstructing the clutch
pedal like a floor mat, then set the parking brake and look underneath at
the switch mounted up near where the clutch pedal pivots. Make sure that
when the clutch pedal is depressed, the plunger on the clutch safety switch
moves. If in doubt, you can unplug the switch and jump the wires - just be
sure that you depress the clutch pedal and have the transmission in neutral
or the car will lurch when you engage the starter.

> I took it in to Autozone to check the batterty and they suggested the
> diode pattern was bad and the alternator needed replaced. Since the
> battery always seems to work and be good I doubt this is the case
> (though the alternator could still need replaced for other unrelated
> reasons).
>
> Online I've read suggestions ranging from replacing the spark plugs and
> wires to replacing the starter to replacing the distributor.

Spark plugs, wires, and distributor are unlikely to be the cause of an
intermittent no-start condition, especially if there are not driveability
problems associated with the no-start condition.
>
> My uncle suggested it might just be a loose connection between the
> starter and the rest of the electrical system (I couldn't get the car
> to recreate the problem for him).

Your uncle is a lot closer to giving you the correct advice than your other
sources.

>
> It seems to happen more often if the car sits for a while.
>
> The problem seems to have in "bursts", that is, it will do it a lot for
> a few days then not at all for a week. Any help would be appreciated.
> --
> Ramen Junkie

The contacts in the starter relay are known to deteriorate over time. A
handy person can check contacts in the starter relay for signs or wear and
corrosion and replace them if necessary.
--
Ray O
correct the return address punctuation to reply


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