What to Do When Your Toyota Corolla Won’t Start?
You woke up late this morning, rushed to get dressed for work, skipped breakfast, and ran outside only to find your Toyota Corolla won’t start up. We’ve all been there.
Here are a few potential solutions for when your car won’t start.
Dead Battery
If you put your key in the ignition and turn it only to hear a repetitive clicking noise, it’s because your Toyota’s battery has died. Don’t worry, this is one of the easiest issues to fix. Grab those jumper cables, or your jumper box, and give your car’s battery a quick jump.
You may have left your headlights or an internal light on that drained the battery overnight. If that’s not the case, you may need to replace the battery or get a new alternator.
Faulty Starter
If you hear just one loud click when you attempt to start your Corolla, there’s probably an issue with the starter. Unless you’re a mechanic, this is most likely not an issue you should attempt to fix yourself. Contact your mechanic and arrange to have your car dropped off with them as soon as possible.
Empty Gas Tank
This is a problem you can probably assess on your own. If you let your car’s gas tank run too low, it’s not going to be able to start up. The solution here is to grab a gas can and fill up the tank.
Hey, it happens to the best of us, but remember that running a car on low gas too often can wind up wearing out the fuel pump.
Clogged Fuel Filter
A fuel filter’s job is to catch all the dirt and rust in your car’s fuel so that it doesn’t damage the engine. If it’s doing its job properly, there will come a time where it’s too clogged up for the car to get the fuel it needs to start. It’s recommended to change your Corolla’s fuel filter somewhere around every 30,000 miles. You can always learn to do this yourself, but it’s generally best to leave it to the professionals. Contact a mechanic as soon as possible.
Defective Ignition Switch
If all of the electronics in your Toyota Corolla seem to be working but it still struggles to start up when you turn the key in the ignition, you may have a faulty ignition switch. Turn your headlights on to double check if it’s a battery issue. If they turn on, contact a mechanic, the ignition switch probably needs to be looked at.
References
“Toyota Corolla Won't Start (Troubleshooting).” Auto Parts Repairs, 13 Nov. 2020, https://www.cowsunite.org/question/toyota-corolla-wont-start-clicking-noise/.
"Automotive Battery." Wikipedia, 13 Nov. 2020 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automotive_battery
