Yesterday i hopped in my car and turned the key and it took a little longer to start up than usual. I didnt think much of it untill i got to the gas station and my runner wouldnt turn over the first few times i turned the key. I popped my hood and noticed my battery connection had quite a bit of corrosion in it so i went home and cleaned it out. I turned the key and it started right up. Well i go out to my car this morning turn the key and another long start up. So i pop my hood and notice that my air filter box was unlatched and not connected to the bottom of the airfilter box very well. I was just wondering if this could have anything to do with my long start ups.

 

No, the airbox latch problem - unless it was post VFM (Vane Flow Meter) - would not make a difference in starting ability. Of course if you sucked a large amount of dirt or something then that could affect it...but I would focus more on the battery issue you mentioned.

Your saying the rig turns over, it just doesn't "catch" right away, correct?

 

correct it takes a while to catch sometimes, but sometimes it will catch rite away. Ever since i latched the airbox it has been back to normal, but i just want to make sure i know what is wrong before i go somewhere and it brakes on me.

 

Without seeing exactly what you mean in regards to the airbox, it is hard to say. I would follow the intake from start to finish and make sure all possible leaks are closed off. Sounds like you did that, and it works now. You should be fine. Let us know if it happens again.

 

Ya thanks 96runner i was just wondering if any leaks in the airbox might cause this to happen.

 

well its still having trouble turning over, and for another thing on my way home it just suddenly turned off and a picture of my battery popped up on my dash. I called my dad and he said it may be the alternator. What are all the things that could be wrong with it, and are there any ways i can check to find out what it is. This is really bad timing because my dad is out of town and he is pretty much the family mechanic. So i really need help with this guys.

 

anyone.

 

Yes, it could be the alternator, which may be insufficiently charging the battery. You need to get the battery tested and the alternator by taking it to your local Autozone (or similar).

 

The airbox doesn't have anything to do with the startups. I would consider the battery the chief suspect because of its leaking acid on the post. I suggest either a red or yellow top battery to fix the problem. Voltage is the key ... amperage is the lock .. the door is your cars electrical system.

 

if my battery and/or alternator is bad then wouldnt it show low voltage on my guage cluster, Because it says it has almost full charge. Plus i cant figure out why my car just turns off idling to a stop. also I really dont think i can afford a red top, or yellow top battery because those seem pretty expensive.

 

Hey when your car just turns off and stops does the key go back to the on position? It kinda sounds like something that happened to my accord a few years back. At first it took a few turns to catch, then later it just wouldnt hold at all and to get it to a mechanic I had to hold the key in position manually. Had something to do with the starter or ignition or soemtihng. Sorry not a mechanic myself but maybe you can look at that?

 

This is the infamous Accord starter solenoid problem. Not the same thing here. Good thinking though.

I think the issue is that it is cranking over, but not catching right away. The Accord problem was just a click and no catch, unless you wiggled the ignition.

Anyway, Fooddude, the brushes of an ALT can break off, causing a sporadic charge and an eventual failure. That is why I suggest testing the battery. That will be a very good indicator as to what is going on. Is it strapped in good?

 

Yes it is strapped in good. But i did do some offroading lastweekend if it might help with anything.

 

Well, get the battery tested and let us know what you get.

 

As Christian said, the slow start is usually the battery but can also be caused by a bad alternator as well. First thing is to get a multi-meter and test the voltage at the battery with the truck running. You should see over 14 volts or so.....less than that and your alternator is bad. Next test with the truck engine off and you should see about 12.5 volts.....less than that and I bet the battery is going bad. You can't check a battery on voltage alone so at that point you need to take it down to a local auto parts store and have it load tested. Make sure to replace it with something decent (I still prefer the Toyota OEM battery but many use an Optima as an excellent aftermarket replacement).

 

well thanks for all the help with my runner guys. It turned out i just had a bad battery. Thanks again yotatech.

 

well i thought i had it fixed today but i guess i was wrong. The turning over problem has been fixed and i havent had any problems with it since i put the new battery in, but today my car turned off again, so when i coasted to a stop i turned it rite back on with no trouble starting or anything. Its almost like something is just cutting the power to my engine all at once, even my music still plays when the engine gets cut off. What could this be guys because i really need to get this fixed.

 

Did you verify that the ALT was working properly?

 

how do i check?

 

Jamie said it...