My 30 year old Corolla has been experiencing a problem for a few months - it would very intermittently - that is less than half the time - fail to start. When this happens it doesn't turn over at all, just turn the key and nothing happens.

I had it checked out several times by several different shops, all said the 'battery was good'. One did 'clean up the connections' as he vaguely put it, for 300 baht, and it didn't experience the problem for a month or two after that.

Finally these last few days it will not turn over at all, that is the problem is no longer intermittent, so I have had to push-start it every time. (luckily the car is very light, and Thai folks are very cheerfully helpful, so that hasn't been a major problem, but its a little dangerous).

I'm wondering what could be causing this, and what might be advisable to try replacing. The car has points, not 'electronic ignition'.

' My 30 year old Corolla has been experiencing a problem ' ......

what did you expect after 30 years .... it won't go forever you know !!

sell it & move on ....

I'm wondering what could be causing this, and what might be advisable to try replacing. The car has points, not 'electronic ignition'.

The car, replace the car!!

I hate electrical problems.

I'd would start from the bottom up - the most basic and cheapest things first....especially on an old car.

I would first of all put in another battery that you know to be OK - borrow one if necessary.

I would also check the battery terminals - it is surprising what a dirty terminal can do. Battery needs to earth to the car well - check that too.

When you say the engine won't turn over, have you checked to see if you still have lights and other electrical things working? ...or is the car completely dead?

you need to sort out if you have

NO battery

LOW battery

or

GOOD battery with no connection.

I'd start by removing, cleaning then tightening battery and starter connections - rough crimps up with sandpaper. Low voltage systems (like those in vehicles) must have solid connections.

starter motor solenoid loose connection?

Don't take any notice of stupid comments from those that don't appreciate older cars.

As already mentioned probably bad connection to starter and or solenoid could even be the ignition switch.

If you have some know-how try briefly touching a wire from the plus terminal of the battery to the solenoid and see if that works.

As a last resort it could be the starter it's self, 30 years is a long time.

May need new brushes.

Just remembered an instance many years ago where the starter motor was loose. Not enough to notice but enough not to make a good earth connection.

Just about the last place one would look

this on youtube gives the general idea:

hope it helps

cheers

this on youtube gives the general idea:

hope it helps

cheers

Good one, just about covers it

See if the car will start after tapping the body of the starter motor with a hammer. You may have to do it a few times. Report back.

1 do the lights switch on

2 if yes switch on the ignition do the dash lights come on, engine light etc.

3 if yes turn the key does it make any noise,

4 switch on the lights and try to start do the lights dim

if 1 no lights dodgy battery or leads or connection, if 4 then jammed starter.

Lots of good advice already given, so I won't talk about the electricals. The OP said it would intermittently not start, and now it's gotten to the point of just not starting.

The video did touch briefly on the Bendix drive in the starter. It does happen that a gear tooth on the Bendix will break off, and the more that break off, the more likely it is that the car will not start normally, and finally not at all.

Do the easy part first and check the electricals. If you don't find the problem, take the starter off and look at the Bendix drive. It might have quite a few teeth missing, or be frozen in place.

Best of luck to you!

Thanks everyone for the helpful advice. I hope I made clear the starter doesn't turn at all when this problem occurs - nothing happens, just silence.

I did have the hood open the other day when it would start, with the intention of hitting the starter with a hammer or rock, but I realized - I don't know where the starter is or what it looks like!

Missing/Broken teeth of the flywheel if Not the starter or solenoid

Thanks everyone for the helpful advice. I hope I made clear the starter doesn't turn at all when this problem occurs - nothing happens, just silence.

I did have the hood open the other day when it would start, with the intention of hitting the starter with a hammer or rock, but I realized - I don't know where the starter is or what it looks like!

It's at the bottom rear of the engine but should be fairly accessible from above on your older car.

Thanks everyone for the helpful advice. I hope I made clear the starter doesn't turn at all when this problem occurs - nothing happens, just silence.

I did have the hood open the other day when it would start, with the intention of hitting the starter with a hammer or rock, but I realized - I don't know where the starter is or what it looks like!

It could be the starter. It could also be loose connection somewhere or the ignition switch. The fact that the ignition switch works everything else is irrelevant. It could be the starter contact part of the switch. I have had this happen, changed the switch and was good to go. You can take out the switch and jump the starter terminals and see if it turns over.

Can't help but comment on all the helpful (and probably drunken) TV members that have nothing better to do that give you crp because the car is 30 years old. So what? If you can keep a car running 35 years, you are a hell of a lot smarter than these boobs that buy a new one every couple of years.

Good luck.

Thanks everyone for the helpful advice. I hope I made clear the starter doesn't turn at all when this problem occurs - nothing happens, just silence.

I did have the hood open the other day when it would start, with the intention of hitting the starter with a hammer or rock, but I realized - I don't know where the starter is or what it looks like!

It's at the bottom rear of the engine but should be fairly accessible from above on your older car.

Battery, clean and rough terminals , starter connections, starter, a half decent mechanic should find it. Have a mate in Loei loves these old cars

starter motor solenoid loose connection?

Or more likely the solenoid itself, we already covered this extensively in the other thread you posted OP, there was lot of good advice expended there. Did you have any of the potential problems checked at that time? It seems to me that it is following the pattern I previously pointed out and finally now the solenoid has gone completely dead, but until you take some of the advice previously given you won't know.. Do you at least hear a click when you turn the key down low in the engine compartment? If so that is the solenoid kicking in and it is more likely the starter in that case. Get a new or used starter installed and it should solve your problem.

Thanks everyone for the helpful advice. I hope I made clear the starter doesn't turn at all when this problem occurs - nothing happens, just silence.

I did have the hood open the other day when it would start, with the intention of hitting the starter with a hammer or rock, but I realized - I don't know where the starter is or what it looks like!

Just read this, starter solenoid, just get a new or used starter either will solve the problem and no more jerking around with replacing just one or the other and guessing which one is bad.

So far the OP hasn't PROVED it isn't the battery, so I wouldn't start replacing a solenoid or any other part...... The solenoid could well be the problem, but it isn't the first thing to check. (for instance; there might even be a noise if the solenoid isn't working rather than total silence).

it is an old car and battery, starter assembly and even ignition switch could be faulty due to wear nd tear, but rather than replacing parts willy-nilly in the hope that you get a result why not approach the problem logically?

This topic has been done to death on another thread the Op started, go ahead and jerk around a little more and then have the starter replaced to solve the problem in the end.i did approach it logically and it;s the starter or solenoid based on what's been said but ok jerk around little longer instead of going to the source.. BTW whether or not I'm proven right I will likely never know, but I really don't care, it wouldn't be the first time I was right but didn't get credit for it, if it solves the Op's problem once and for all it's all good.

If you can push start it "every time" then it is not a jammed starter, old starters can jam but NOT every time.

If it is the original starter it may need an internal clean, brushes or rebuild. Plus the solenoid may be shot. Or your ignition (key) is not making the connection.

Look at the starter, on it is attached the solenoid, there is a small wire connection, disconnect it, attach a small dia piece of wire to it, long enough to reach the battery, touch the end of the wire on the + side of the battery, keeping your fingers away from the connection. This will tell you if the starter or solenoid is stuffed, cos starter will turn if it is OK. If it works then key switch or relay that sends the signal to the starter perhaps is the prob.

May I respectfully add, posters who comment crap about "buy a new car", save it.

This is OUR motoring forum where we try and help out with any vehicle. Some of us love rides of all ages and like to help ...............

This topic has been done to death on another thread the Op started, go ahead and jerk around a little more and then have the starter replaced to solve the problem in the end.i did approach it logically and it;s the starter or solenoid based on what's been said but ok jerk around little longer instead of going to the source.. BTW whether or not I'm proven right I will likely never know, but I really don't care, it wouldn't be the first time I was right but didn't get credit for it, if it solves the Op's problem once and for all it's all good.

you see that's the problem - rather than think logically you are trying to be PROVEN RIGHT - in fact if the OP approaches from the basics and progresses you might WELL be right, however, just picking a prt and hoping is not a rational approach. Furthermore changing the solenoid or any other part without starting from basics may involve an action that fixes the problem which may NOT have been the solenoid at all.....this then loads to a situation where the OP THINKS the problem was the solenoid but it in fat was not - was if /when the problem re-occurs he will attempt the same solution and waste money yet again on the wrong part, this time to no avail.

There is a basic fault in the approach here - that of attribution of the problem to genuine causation or association - the latter being a false logic.

If the battery is ok and connections good -- look at the starter solenoid -- known as a common point of failure, possibly just bad connections, but possibly needing replaced -- not a big job.

Sounds like a Girlfriend after you married Her.

This topic has been done to death on another thread the Op started, go ahead and jerk around a little more and then have the starter replaced to solve the problem in the end.i did approach it logically and it;s the starter or solenoid based on what's been said but ok jerk around little longer instead of going to the source.. BTW whether or not I'm proven right I will likely never know, but I really don't care, it wouldn't be the first time I was right but didn't get credit for it, if it solves the Op's problem once and for all it's all good.

you see that's the problem - rather than think logically you are trying to be PROVEN RIGHT - in fact if the OP approaches from the basics and progresses you might WELL be right, however, just picking a prt and hoping is not a rational approach. Furthermore changing the solenoid or any other part without starting from basics may involve an action that fixes the problem which may NOT have been the solenoid at all.....this then loads to a situation where the OP THINKS the problem was the solenoid but it in fat was not - was if /when the problem re-occurs he will attempt the same solution and waste money yet again on the wrong part, this time to no avail.

There is a basic fault in the approach here - that of attribution of the problem to genuine causation or association - the latter being a false logic.

Nonsense Wilco and like Steven said in the other thread, stop trying to generate a confrontation with EVERY poster on the forum will you?

If the battery is ok and connections good -- look at the starter solenoid -- known as a common point of failure, possibly just bad connections, but possibly needing replaced -- not a big job.

And so Wilco likes this but confronts the identical post when I made it in a different context because I was paying attention to the same topic on the other thread Clare made some weeks ago. Ok I get it... Apparently he wasn't paying attention in that thread when all of this was already gone over and the conclusion I (and others) came to derived from LOGIC and decades of practical mechanical application that it was most likely the starter/solenoid. So like I also said, very unlikely that if this is the problem? It will be posted as such on here though in the end..

Visited the mechanic shop today and he sent round a boy with a battery and cables, which did nothing to start the car, so he and I and a tuk-tuk driver push-started it (always works). So, now he has it for the next day or two, we'll see what he makes of it.

The fact that the car wouldn't start on the 'fresh' battery the boy brought round seems to me to indicate that it isn't a battery problem, but probably a starter/solenoid problem, or maybe ignition, as some have suggested here.

Been doing different cars for years and when bought Soluna in Thailand swore wouldn't bother fixing myself anymore. What a fool I am!!!

Never ran into the problem before with what sounds like a similar situation.

Haven't looked at the video provided but what comes to mind is what never ran into before and learned somewhat unique to particular Toyota starters are the contacts on (inside) the motor. They're replaceable and not expensive.