05 Corolla Hard Start When Hot

[GarrettSocling 0]

Ok...

 

So, today after stopping by a friends house for about 45 minutes, I get back in my car and it cranks for like 5 seconds without starting. I am immediatley startled cause it has never done this before. I wait a moment or two and crank again, and after about two seconds it starts, but without the mild rush that it usually does, just a mild rise to about 1500 rpm.

 

I was shaken but got over it.

 

After about a 5 minute drive across town, I stop at another friends house for about 30 minutes. I get out and the car does the same thing again. Instead of cranking for the full five seconds, I left off after about two and gave it another two second crank, on which it started.

 

It always starts immediately. I don't think I've ever even cranked it for a full second before. The engine just flies to life.

 

So...

 

I've never had a problem starting this car while hot before. It is at 692 miles.

 

Taking this, combining it with my rough idle (which still visibly shakes the engine when warm)...do I have a shady engine? It seems to have enough pep, and my first fill (dealer filled it at 166 when I got the car) gave me 34MPG with some mildly spirited driving.

 

Is this something I should take it to the dealer about? Can they do anything?

 

Am I being paranoid and overly anxious? Munchausen by proxy?

 

Thanks for your time,

Garrett

Edited September 10, 2004 by GarrettSocling

[Guest xmaverickx]

that also happened to me a couple of times...i have an 05 s with 500 somethings miles on it...i was shock when it wouldn't start on the first crank...new car and all...then i read something in the manual that the new keys have some kind of chip on its tip...that having it next to a metal object might lead to the car not starting...so from now on i try to separate the car key from other keys before starting the car...has not happen since (knock on wood)...worth a try...

[GarrettSocling 0]

Thats a good idea, didn't even think of it.

 

Thanks!

 

Garrett

[Guest 05corollaS!!]

I had that problem with a ford I own. Had two passive keys on the same key ring (chevy & Ford), I guess it screwed up the signal or something and the truck would only start 75% of the time I turned the key. Almost had the dealership flatbed the truck back to the dealership, but found the solution on a ford forum board. I have a new 05 S myself and have noticed a problem similiar to yours, but not as frequent. I may try to remove the key from the key ring altogether and see if it helps me as well.

[Guest ozzma105]

Well i bought my 05 matrix about 4months ago and from day one i`ve had that same problem... Car will work fine for awhile and then, out of the blue, it will not start but once i try it again it starts (sometimes needing 2-3 tries) Well i`ve taken it to the dealer 4 ( yes FOUR times) and everytime they tell me there is nothing wrong with my car ( The manager Even told me that there wasnt a chip in my key so that couldnt be the problem Uh DUH!!!!!) So today i took it AGAIN and they gave me the same speech that if they cant replicate the problem they cant fix it!!! I`m at my wits end!!! What else can i do .... I`m going to call the Toyota usa corp # and file for a lemon law because the people at the dealership cant figure it out! Does this sound like a good idea? I hope someone can help!

[DDragon7 0]

I thought the 05s came with the anti-theft device?

[Guest thax]

I recently aquired a 2005 Corolla and it has the same condition. I called the dealer and they said Toyota knows about the problem and are working to fix it, but right now there is no fix available.

[dklkse 0]

Here's a huge toyotanation thread on the topic:

Corolla Starting problem

 

Since this issue is years old already, and doesn't seem to be detrimental, I doubt Toyota is concerned about a fix. They're probably just saying that they are working on it, to try and keep customers quiet...

Edited March 23, 2006 by dklkse

[Guest thax]

Since this issue is years old already, and doesn't seem to be detrimental, I doubt Toyota is concerned about a fix. They're probably just saying that they are working on it, to try and keep customers quiet...

Thanks for the info, this is great.

[the99contour 1]

As I posted in the post that there is a link to further up on the page:

 

When I test drove an '05 LE, there was a sticker that the dealer had not yet removed that mentioned that after parking the car, the fuel pump depressureized the fuel line. This means the line is empty, and the car will require longer to start because the line must be filled before the car will start. This seems to answer the question of why longer starts. Normally my car takes 5 seconds to start, but after it sits for a while, wether it is hot or cold, it takes 7 seconds to start.

 

Try this, put your key in the ignition and turn it to "ON", which is the position right before start. Leave the key in "ON" for a couple of seconds. Then try starting the car. If this produces consistant starting times when the car is warm, you will know that the fuel pump is clearing the line, and that is what is causing your problem.

[HappyMom 0]

This has happenned to me a few times. The dealer could not find anything wrong the 1st time I brought it to them, there is a service bulleting out there, I think Ti-Jean posted a link. It is only a mild annoyance . My only concern if this will shorten the life of the starter.

[Bitter 1]

Since this issue is years old already, and doesn't seem to be detrimental, I doubt Toyota is concerned about a fix. They're probably just saying that they are working on it, to try and keep customers quiet...

Thanks for the info, this is great.

i use this trick for cold starts. when i do it my engine starts in about 2-3 cranks and when i dont it can take 5-6 cranks. it seems to help on the really cold days more than any other time. ive never had it not start except for when the fuel pump died, i had a loose ign fuse, and when the starter went dead on me. other than those 3 times its always started when i turn the key.

[Bikeman982 0]

I have a different starting symptom for my car. I can quickly turn the key to start and let it spring back and the car starts right away. If I turn it to start and hold it there for a fraction of a second and then let it return to run, it will not start and I have to use some gas when trying to restart it. I have developed the habit of doing the quick start and it seems to work that way. It always starts up and that is great Toyota reliability in action!!

[bleo 0]

For anyone who doesn't want to read the mammoth ToyotaNation thread, my 'quick and dirty' fix is to press the gas pedal a little if you are experiencing a hard start. (i.e. press the gas while you are holding the key in the start position). Afterwards, if the engine feels like it is going to stall, press the gas a little again. Yeah sounds like a ghetto fix I know... but it works...

[Bikeman982 0]

For anyone who doesn't want to read the mammoth ToyotaNation thread, my 'quick and dirty' fix is to press the gas pedal a little if you are experiencing a hard start. (i.e. press the gas while you are holding the key in the start position). Afterwards, if the engine feels like it is going to stall, press the gas a little again. Yeah sounds like a ghetto fix I know... but it works...

It is amazing to think - cars run on air and gas mixtures and if your car does not start - add some gas!!