# 2004 Toyota Corolla won't start **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** corolla, toyota\ **Created:** [July 28, 2009, 7:29pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2004-toyota-corolla-wont-start/34154 "2009-07-28T19:29:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![joshipooja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3ec8ea/32.png) [@joshipooja](https://community.cartalk.com/u/joshipooja)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 7:29pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2004-toyota-corolla-wont-start/34154/1 "2009-07-28T19:29:28Z")
Hello, I got into my car today to move it for alternate side parking and it won’t start. At first even the windows won’t go down - but eventually & sluggishly, the windows work. What could be wrong? We drove it this weekend around 200 miles or so and it seemed just fine. But all of a sudden when I try to start it today, dead. Is it the battery? Or a spark plug problem? Is calling AAA a good idea? This car has NEVER given us any issues till date so I am surprised. We got it brand new in 2004. ---
**Author:** ![joshipooja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3ec8ea/32.png) [@joshipooja](https://community.cartalk.com/u/joshipooja)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 7:30pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2004-toyota-corolla-wont-start/34154/2 "2009-07-28T19:30:30Z")
Oh and the car only has 34,000 miles on it. We only drive it on weekends and for vacation travel. ---
**Author:** ![edb1961](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/edb1961/32/122_2.png) [@edb1961](https://community.cartalk.com/u/edb1961)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 7:41pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2004-toyota-corolla-wont-start/34154/3 "2009-07-28T19:41:02Z")
I would guess the battery, especially if it’s the original. The last two batteries I’ve replaced failed without warning. The first was ok the night before and the second was ok in the morning and failed that afternoon. Have the battery checked at an auto parts store, i.e. Autozone, Advance, etc. ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 7:46pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2004-toyota-corolla-wont-start/34154/4 "2009-07-28T19:46:03Z")
I’d guess battery, too. And yes, AAA will give you a jump, that’s what you’re paying for. How old ia the battery? ---
**Author:** ![joshipooja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3ec8ea/32.png) [@joshipooja](https://community.cartalk.com/u/joshipooja)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 7:50pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2004-toyota-corolla-wont-start/34154/5 "2009-07-28T19:50:13Z")
We have never replaced the battery. It is the battery that came with the car in 2004. ---
**Author:** ![UncleTurbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e9a140/32.png) [@UncleTurbo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/UncleTurbo)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 7:51pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2004-toyota-corolla-wont-start/34154/6 "2009-07-28T19:51:44Z")
Dead battery, nothing unusual about a 6 year old battery conking out. Is it possible you may have left the interior lights on since you last drove the car? Sometimes a little light stays on and drains the battery. If you didn’t leave any lights on then the battery is shot. ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2017, 2:29am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2004-toyota-corolla-wont-start/34154/8 "2017-10-25T02:29:26Z")
Re: “I’m telling you, this is a super easy job to do yourself. Loosen 2 Rusty bolts, then it is a 5 minute job. Do yourself a favor, save a couple hundred bucks and do the repair yourself.” On my Corolla anyway, that’s a somewhat optimistic version of the difficulty of the job. To access the top bolt requires removing the entire air cleaner ass’y and the rubber boot between it and the throttle body. To do this it is faster to remove the battery first. Then there’s a wire bundle holder in the way that has to be removed and held out of the way, before you can finally get a socket on the top bolt. Access to the bottom bolt requires jacking the front end of the car up and putting it on jack-stands. Before you can access that bolt you have to remove two wires attached to the starter motor, which takes some doing and requires certain dimension ratchet extensions as there’s little working room in that area. To remove the starter motor out the bottom requires a Houdini like magic trick. I expect many starters have been damaged by diy’ers trying to remove or install them from the bottom. The right front wheel has to be removed, along with the under-engine shield, and the steering wheel has to be turned at just the correct angle to make it even possible. Fortunately it is possible to remove it from the top side, but first you have to remove a fuel line and a cooling hose. Which means you have to add coolant & bleed the air out of the cooling system after the starter is replaced. It’s true you can purchase a rebuilt aftermarket starter for 100 bucks or so, but the last time I did that, it didn’t work, so I had to do the whole thing again. So the 2 rusty bolts, 5 minute job thing? I don’t think so. ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2017, 2:32am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2004-toyota-corolla-wont-start/34154/9 "2017-10-25T02:32:41Z")
> [@joshipooja](#): > > Is calling AAA a good idea? Isn’t that why you have them? My money is on a dead battery. ---
**Author:** ![VOLVO-V70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@VOLVO-V70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VOLVO-V70)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2017, 3:20am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2004-toyota-corolla-wont-start/34154/10 "2017-10-25T03:20:27Z")
Phooey, another 8 year old thread. I think rtomlinsen is spamming. ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2017, 2:42pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2004-toyota-corolla-wont-start/34154/11 "2017-10-25T14:42:34Z")
> [@VOLVO\_V70](#): > > Phooey, another 8 year old thread. I think rtomlinsen is spamming. I went back over the dates, and I think George accidently reactivated this one. I maintain that it happens often enough to justify reviewing the thread format to make the last date more prominent. I accidently reopen and old grave myself, and I’ve noticed that I’m not alone. ---
**Author:** ![VOLVO-V70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@VOLVO-V70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VOLVO-V70)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2017, 2:46pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2004-toyota-corolla-wont-start/34154/12 "2017-10-25T14:46:19Z")
The thread was reactivated by (rtomlinsen) and another old thread. I think it was done just to promote a web site.