Car Won't Start - Buzzing Noise?

LpPepper

Hi,

2004 Micra that won't start up. Turn the key and car shudders and then dies, battery indicator lights up. There's also a Buzzing Noise too.

Had noticed the last few days when starting the revs would almost die out when key was turned but then return to normal

Is the alternator fecked?

mattaiuseire

Sounds like a dodgy battery

Toyotafanboi

tempted to say a fuel pump related issue.

mattaiuseire

Have you tried giving it a kick?

Wossack

as per dash indicator, battery probably best place to start

Toyotafanboi

does the battery light not come on every time a car stalls for any reason though. i'd also be less suspicious of the battery if it managed to crank the car long enough to get it started and only after it fired up did it cut out.

biko

See if you can jump it, then drive around 20 mins. Drive home, turn it off and try starting again after 10 mins.

jimgoose

The first thing I'd do is use a cheap little multimeter to check the at-rest and charging voltages across the battery terminals. The latter would involve getting it running somehow. :pac:

LpPepper

Update:

Local mechanic on my street had a look - he cranked it for a good 20 seconds and then it started, gave it some good revs and said to leave it running for a bit. About 5 minutes later I went out to check on it and it had died.

Now starts but idle is a bit odd, wants to die at times unless you give it some throttle, after some high throttle (3/4k) revs drop below idle and then normalise again.

About 1/3 of a tank in it, though I do have a habbit of running it low on petrol.

Toyotafanboi

you wouldn't get 20 seconds cranking from a bad battery. no way.

still thinking fueling/ ignition

jimgoose

Right. This is sounding more like an air/fuel control problem. Idle control valve, MAP/MAF, vacuum leak, this sort of thing. Your mechanic should be able to step through all that and debug. A fault-code scan would be a fine idea at this juncture as well.

LpPepper

Well it does have an intermittent problem of the idle dropping and juddering when at lights or stopped in traffic. Hasn't ever been problematic just annoying.

Toyotafanboi

jimgoose wrote: »

Right. This is sounding more like an air/fuel control problem. Idle control valve, MAP/MAF, vacuum leak, this sort of thing. Your mechanic should be able to step through all that and debug. A fault-code scan would be a fine idea at this juncture as well.

good point.

i remember working on the Celica during the summer. had half the car put back together and tried to start it without the airbox fitted.

it would turn over, fire up and just die after 2-3 seconds.

fitted the airbox back onto the piping to the throttle body and it would start and run like ****... tightened the jubilee clips on the piping and it ran perfect.

this sounds like it could be simple enough. is there a check engine light on OP?

wonder could it be the infamous timing chain stretch on these upsetting the timing?

jimgoose

LpPepper wrote: »

Well it does have an intermittent problem of the idle dropping and juddering when at lights or stopped in traffic. Hasn't ever been problematic just annoying.

Beware of stampeding towards the idle control valve just because funny idling problems manifest as part of whatever the problem is is. What with those filthy PCV setups, you could be like this soldier, spending nearly two hours removing gunk from a throttle-body with a toothbrush, cotton-buds and a tin of Jizer. :pac:

LpPepper

Toyotafanboi wrote: »

good point.

i remember working on the Celica during the summer. had half the car put back together and tried to start it without the airbox fitted.

it would turn over, fire up and just die after 2-3 seconds.

fitted the airbox back onto the piping to the throttle body and it would start and run like ****... tightened the jubilee clips on the piping and it ran perfect.

this sounds like it could be simple enough. is there a check engine light on OP?

wonder could it be the infamous timing chain stretch on these upsetting the timing?

Well fitted a new air filter a few months ago but being honest the piping that joins up with the filter box is taped on, no clip :rolleyes:

Unless maybe its that, because it has always been an intermittent problem.

I don't think its a timing chain issue, the car has about 85,600 miles on it and a few owners so reckon it would have been sorted before now. Also, no check engine lights.

Hal1

I'd be looking for a vacuum leak in that case. Tape won't hold forever and will perish with damp weather. I would get the mechanic to check that first. A change in wind direction would upset a maf sensor. They can lead to erratic engine idling.

run_Forrest_run

jimgoose wrote: »

Beware of stampeding towards the idle control valve just because funny idling problems manifest as part of whatever the problem is is. What with those filthy PCV setups, you could be like this soldier, spending nearly two hours removing gunk from a throttle-body with a toothbrush, cotton-buds and a tin of Jizer. :pac:

I was going to suggest dirty throttle body. I had a similar problem on with my car last week, shuddering on idle, sometimes cutting out and it turned out to be a dirty throttle body.
Now it runs smoothly again.

LpPepper

Another update:

Started it up a while ago and had to give it revs to keep it going for the first 20/30 seconds, and it wanted to just die out. After that it seemed okay.

Got around the corner and near the local shops it start jumping and jerking every time I touched the accelerator. Decided to turn around to get it home and then it died itself (battery light) then all warning lights (oil/battery/engine) came om but then rpms came back.

Managed to park it outside the house, mechanic to take a good look tomorrow.

I'm thinking maybe something to do with fuel pump, not sure?