Car troubles

Mines very reliable fortunately but I do have RAC homestart in case but I’ve not needed to utter it in 11 yrs membership.
Did you get it fixed?

No .

Sounds like you starter motor.

Last Sunday my car wouldn't start for the first time ever. Eventually with lots of welly I got it going. I gave it a good run around the ring road and fortunately it has been fine since. The battery is only a year old so shouldn't need replacing. I hate that I am now apprehensive every time I go out.
On the same day DD' s power steering failed so has gone in to the garage for a £800 repair taking 10 days. Luckily they gave her a free courtesy car.
I hope you get to the bottom of your car problem Bellesgran.

Could be the starter motor or the battery (my DiL's car suffered from that problem last week).
Some makes of car, I know from experience and from friends' experience, dislike being started and just moved a few yards before stopping again (like when changing parking spaces). I think it leaves the carburettor starved of fuel so that the engine will then not start. Other types with catalytic convertors get a build-up of residue in the convertor and need a good blast along the motorway to clear the problem!

My car was bought last August from a main Toyota dealer, 3 years old and in showroom condition. Occasionally when I'd turn the key nothing happened, dead.... I'd try a few times and it would start on perhaps the 3rd or 4th effort.

This was very intermittent and I mentioned it to the particular salesman one day who said just to call in with it. Another few months passed.

One mornng a few weeks ago when it happened again I decided just to drive over to the car dealership. No appointment but was given absolute courtesy, salesman sat and yarned with me, got me a coffee, called the service department and a service guy (SG) came around to chat with me.
Anything that came to mind to him he felt would occur regularly so he took my car over to the service department there and then, have another coffee, it'll take about 20 minutes.

SG comes back having checked all and says car is perfect. SG says.... May I ask Coolgran, are you sure to always put your foot/clutch to the floor when you turn the key. Or do you have an extra set of floor mats in your car.
Hmmm says me .... I guess I put my foot to the floor, I just do it automatically, don't take note, and I've never had this problem before. And No, no extra or different car mats.

SG says.... can I tell you that Toyota have a safety system and if the clutch is the slightest touch off the floor when turning the key, it will not start. Just in case a child may try to mess with the pedals.
You may feel that your foot is to the floor, try making sure that it is to the floor and see what happens. Don't hesitate to come back if necessary.

It has never happened since.

Sounds as if you have either a dead battery or a dead starter motor.

DD had the starter motor problem last week, on her way home from work outside the supermarket, half a mile from home. It took the AA over 2 hours to reach her and it ended with her having to have a day off work to see the garage to sort out the new starter and another day making a slow and circuitous journey to work and home by public transport because the parts factor snt the wrong starter motor.

Is that right?
Should you have to depress the clutch pedal, before turning on the ignition?
Or is it only some models of cars?

You should always depress the clutch before starting a car as there is a safety switch it’s to prevent the car being started whilst in gear. Maybe in older cars it may not have this feature.

Bellesgran - you said you looked under the bonnet, but would you have known what to look for? Most car problems are not visible by just looking. Lots of possibilities, but if it is starter motor, only makes a click when key turned. You need to call a mechanic.

As Farmor says if it's S M it will just click when the key is turned and the engine will make no attempt to start. If it turns over but dosen't fire up then probably battery.

Thanks Tanith, our car was bought in 2003, so I suppose she is old now, (shh)
We are considering changing her, but she has been so reliable, that I am dithering.

Only replace a car when it becomes unreliable and expensive to keep on the road. It is more environmentally efficeint. The amount of energy used to build a new car far exceeds the cost of running a less efficient car.

My car is also a 2003 car. I have had it since 2007. It has never broken down and it gets through its MOT each year with the most minor of repairs. Like my previous cars it will be run until it collapses and then it will be taken to a scrap yard.

I had a brand new car and the battery went after 6 months. The battery could not support all the bells and whistles my car had on it and I wasn't doing long drives. They have not replaced the battery with a more powerful one.

I have a Toyota too Coolgran and yes, you do have to make sure your foot is right down on the clutch before it will start - which I don't always do.

Battery problem Bellesgran? Are you doing lots of short journeys?

I had a new battery about three years ago. The mechanic said that batteries don't like lots of short journeys and to go out once a week for at least half an hour.
I go out for a drive on Sunday mornings for around that time, a bit longer when it's cold and now that I've got my little route I quite enjoy it.
Touch wood, it has helped my battery to last a bit longer.

Bellegran Difficulty with kids zips, ‘troublesome kids’ now ‘car troubles’ you re not having too much luck are you at the moment ? I thought your daughter was away training ? Or is this a different daughter ? I hope you’re daughter has found an alternative way to get home

? BlueBelle

Yes, I've heard that batteries don't like short journeys, which most of us use a car for. The furthest I drive is about 20 mins to my friend's house. Fingers crossed, my battery doesn't play up.