1999 Camry. No start issue.

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Ok, the Camry in my sig has been giving me issues for the past two weeks only. For the 3rd time, I go to start the car, and the lights all come on and the dinger works, until I turn the key to the on position where everything goes dead at once. After this happens, you must jump the car for anything to work and it fires right up like nothing ever happened. The battery is 8 months old, and the car does not sit. Headlights are automatic and always turn off, and the dome light is set to OFF just in case. At first I thought we had left a door open, but we never did. Not sure if anyone has any ideas, BUT I need a reliable car. Very frustrating. Thanks.
 
Possibly not enough cranking amps to fire the car up by itself. If the battery is only 8 months old and you bought it new then its under warranty. Take it back to the place of purchase, have them test it for free and if it fails then they will give you a new one free of charge, every place ive seen doesnt need a receipt since they get reimbursed from the company who made it. Grab a replacement with a newer date code.

It is possible the battery was just defective, but make sure your alternator is still good. It could slowly be killing your battery over time while driving, you'll know the alternator is completely shot if your car dies while driving. Chain stores will test your alternator, either in the car or you'll need to remove it depending on their equipment. Hope this helps
 
Agree with Spencer - have the battery checked. If it's good, check all battery connections and grounds to insure they're making good contact.

I'd also inspect the positive battery cable; if it's corroded it could cause your symptoms. I have seen corrosion as far as 20cm from the battery, UNDER the insulation.
 
The battery tested just fine. The terminals aren't dirty, but cleaning them is my next step. The battery has the highest CCA (?) figure I could get. Not sure, but thank you all.
 
See if you have a defective battery.

If you do not then you must check for a parasitic drain. Do this by disconnecting the ground and placing a volt meter across the "air gap" (battery post to clamp).

With a helper reading the meter, one-by-one remove the fuses until you pull one which results in the voltage going to zero. That's the circuit your drain is in.
 
AZ can do a load test. If the batt is good then its probably a loose connection somewhere including a bad ground. My guess is that you have a loose connection. Enough power to light the lights but when you hit big startup current load the voltage drops.
 
Originally Posted By: Kira
See if you have a defective battery.

If you do not then you must check for a parasitic drain. Do this by disconnecting the ground and placing a volt meter across the "air gap" (battery post to clamp).

With a helper reading the meter, one-by-one remove the fuses until you pull one which results in the voltage going to zero. That's the circuit your drain is in.

If you place a voltmeter across the gap you'll read nothing, since voltmeters are by design high impedance. Need to use an ammeter, or else a low-value resistor across the gap and measure across that with a voltmeter.
 
Really sounds like dirty connection based on your testing of the battery being good.

I am still suspicious of the battery and would recommend getting it tested by someone other than the store you bought it from and hopefully one that prints out the results
 
Originally Posted By: Dorian
The battery tested just fine. The terminals aren't dirty, but cleaning them is my next step. The battery has the highest CCA (?) figure I could get. Not sure, but thank you all.


Where and how was the battery tested?

The CCA should be trivial for a Camry as long as you get one that is factory sized to fit in the tray.

I worked at an Interstate Battery store while in college and helped hundreds of customers with battery issues. We used a handheld tester that we clamped onto the terminals while the car was running to test battery health and charging system performance.

Your case sounds a lot like a bad battery. Could be a broken strap that causes an intermittent failure to start. You need to take it someplace where the employees understand batteries in order to get it properly diagnosed.
 
I am getting the feeling that you do not have the ability or the tool to measure the voltage. If I am right, then it is a lost cause.
 
Are you sure the terminal connection is tightening all the way? Try some dielectric grease on it. Wire brush your terminal and connection. Its a soft metal, they do wear out over time from replacing the battery. My friends Miata would occasionally do this, he would have to wiggle the terminal or completely remove it and reattach it.

Aftermarket radio or anything?
 
Yes completely remove the terminals from the battery posts. Remove the negative one first and reattach it last. (This is for safety in case your tools touch ground when working on the positive side). Clean the inside of the terminal and the outside of the battery post to bare metal. Loosen the nut and spread the metal apart so it slides all the way onto the battery post. You should have some battery post sticking out above the top of the terminal. Then tighten the nut.
 
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