Failure of an Engine to Start

I Once had a capacitor (noise suppression for radio) that shorted out when it was warmer. Check it out.

It may be an intermittent fault on the starter motor solenoid energise contact, which ordinarily closes when the key is turned to the start position.

Try switching the ignition on and taking a feed directly from the non-ground side of the battery to the starter motor solenoid terminal. If the engine starts in this way, bingo. Replace the ignition switch for a new one.

If not, then phone the AA (other motoring assist organisations are available) and let them sort it out.

If this is an older car with traditional carburetter then check the lower flange gasket they harden and a knock will break the seal and allow air in which will kill the engine on a hot start. This is not a common thing so difficult to find even for a professional car shop.

We still don't know what model car this is.

its a toyota corolla ae110 it's EFI and not carburator.

What exactly did you do to modify a corolla to get an AE110? I might be interested in the modification.

please reply to dfpd5907@yahoo.com

" You could call a vapor locksmith"

I've looked in the back of magazines to take that very course.

Anyway, that's very funny, but all and all, a really good answer.

I hear by whack you with a GA.

Thanks.

I was trying to find a humble emoticon.

Vapor lock is also a symptom of a weak fuel-pump. I like that, the 'sticky solenoid' theory, and a soft battery, about to expire.

Keep us posted!

cheers

RF_G

As a teenager, I was forced to drive POS cars. I had one with a bad starter solenoid, and my dad taught me how to jump it with a wire... The rat-bastard!!!

thanks guys,

well, i changed the fuel pump first but it didnt work, when i checked the alternator, it would charge at times, and then wouldnt charge, so i changed it. the battery had been drained too, so i put a new one, am waiting to see what happens. but te first day after the fix, everything seems to be ok.

I bet you have fixed it with these replacements, or at least, you stand a very good chance, well done!

Is your voltage regulator seperate? or is it enclosed within the alternator?

Bill

Late to the party...and wrong address.

Everyone went home.

I once had a 1982 Ford Pick-up that had a similer problem, It would start fine in the4 morning but after it had warmed up it would not start. It turned out to be the starter motor, worked fine when it was cold but after it heated up it would not turn.

The trouble is with the starter motor windings; the field is weak, causes it to malfunction, check the amp draw of starter both when cold and then hot.

I had a similar problem with a '75 Rabbit. Turned out that when the engine was hot, the starter solenoid would stick and the shorting bar would not hit home across the terminals. When it was cold, the clearances would open up again and it operated normally. Removing the starter, cleaning away the old dried up lube on the solenoid core, dressed the contacts a little, put it back together with some fresh lube on the sliding parts of the solenoid and presto, never failed again.

The symptom was a faint click noise when the key was turned to start, but no cranking. Usually you will hear a hefty clack when the solenoid hits home.

battery has a bad plate replace the battery

this was simple as i had the same problem with a car

My car started fine cold- but after engine warmed up would not start- put jumper batt on & started straight away- auto lec said run extra relay from batt to start sol- did- made little diff- batt measured fine in int res test & high load test- eventually i worked out what was happening- batt was 3 years young- the car is an e-w which means eng bay runs hotter than n-s- the batt had sludge at the bott- as batt warmed up the plates inside expanded & were shorted out by the lead sludge. Until this became clear, I carried spare starter motor, batt & jump cables- a r/p batt fixed the prob.

I had the same problem with my honda civic, it was the fuel relay.

We still don't know if the car cranks or not when in the no-start mode. Knowing this would sure help anyone trying to troubleshoot without having the engine right under their nose.

it doesnt crank either.

Realign the encabulator.

There is a leakage current or the battery is not getting fully charged or getting very near to discharge state every 2/3 weeks.

So First check how much is the leakage current ? The leakage current or called parasitic load is to supply power to computer on engine, on clocks, on several; sensors fitted in car and may be additionally a weak insulation. This can be checked in a garage and compared with another ehicle o0f same model.

Secondly the day this is happening may be previouis day car was used with various loads and all loads were not supplied by engine. Or car was unused for sevral days and the leakage current have been consuming power.So car batterty got drained out .

Finally the battery may be almost due for replacement. If you find the gravity of electrolyte is ok, but still you need to jump start it may be ,an indiaction of loss of capacity of battery to fully start the engine. Please check the battery at Battery store.

I think the problem is that when she is reaching the place where it needs to be jumpstarted the battery is taking some addional load to get discharged to jump start level or not getting sufficient "Run" of the car to make up the power lost in starting it at home. Check the gravity which is a better indiactor.

Of course, the battery may be sulfated, as you pointed out. In that case, it will never hold a good charge ever again.

If the vehicle won't restart after driving some distance...

1. The starter and solenoid may be located close to a heat-producing source that causes the starter or solenoid to refuse to operate (due to swelling of internal component parts, which results in increased resistance to pulling in (as in the solenoid), or resistance to rotation (as in the starter).

2. The alternator may not be producing enough voltage to keep the battery at a full charge. So, after driving for a distance, the battery is actually robbed of power, enough so that it does not have enough oomph to turn the starter. Occasionally, the battery will have just barely enough power to turn the starter, but will not be able to supply enough voltage for ignition.

3. The battery cable connections may be corroded to the point where the chemical deposits interfere with current flow in and out of the battery, so the voltage supply from the alternator cannot adequately keep the battery charged sufficiently to turn the engine. Then, after the battery sits overnight, it regains enough voltage, due to "internal charging," that it is able to turn the engine.

4. Sometimes the fuel pump in the tank will fail to pump after it has been run for a while. Then, after sitting for a spell, it cools down and will start to work, again.

5. The battery may old and weak. If it's over 3 years old, replace it.

Good, good, good but after the engine cools it does start again...

Items 1 and 4 relate to heat/cool effects.

Like everyone else, I had the same problem, too. I dumped the car and bought another one and guess what? the problem went away.

False contact on the switch?

Fuel pump problem?

Does it have a carburator or is it injected, ´cause is could need some cleaning.

You have a very long way to go for an automotive business.

What does a fuel pump or fuel system got to do when the starter won't even crank?

Please find some books on how an automobile works so you can at least identify the problems and diagnosis for the right solution. So first thing to do is buy a Haynes or Chilton repair manual for the 93-97 Corolla. Not sure which engine it got because earlier one has 1.6L 4A-FE and later has 1.8L 7A-FE. They're pretty much the same beside displacement.

actually, the starter cranked, and i sorted out the issue. it was the alternator not charging the battery

What?! No Sublet for #33/#34? Not even a GA-GA or two?

Skeeter probably deserves an AGA, as well: for being close...the voltage thing, you know.

This the part that is confuse me. The description was the car would start cold but after shut off would not start when engine is warm, however would restart if allowed to cool. How does the cooling method cause a charge to be realized in a depleted battery?? This scenario would support the alternator being the faulty member.

This the part that is confuse me. The description was the car would start cold but after shut off would not start when engine is warm, however would restart if allowed to cool. How does the cooling method cause a charge to be realized in a depleted battery?? This scenario would support the alternator being the faulty member.

I explained how this occurs in my previous post, #19, although I didn't string it together in the same paragraph.

"2. The alternator may not be producing enough voltage to keep the battery at a full charge. So, after driving for a distance, the battery is actually robbed of power, enough so that it does not have enough oomph to turn the starter."

...and from 3. "Then, after the battery sits overnight, it regains enough voltage, due to "internal charging," that it is able to turn the engine."

While the engine was "cooling," the battery was regaining some lost voltage on its own. Actually, the engine cooling had nothing whatsoever to with anything, other than providing a time interval.

Maybe it's allergic to that brand of gasoline.

Do a full checkout of the alternator.

Give her money back and exit stage left from auto repair.