# 2008 Toyota Corolla starting trouble **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [March 1, 2018, 5:54pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2008-toyota-corolla-starting-trouble/113023 "2018-03-01T17:54:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![victor05](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/53a042/32.png) [@victor05](https://community.cartalk.com/u/victor05)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2018, 5:54pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2008-toyota-corolla-starting-trouble/113023/1 "2018-03-01T17:54:08Z")
my car at first kick sounds as if it will start but further attempt shows or gives no hope of starting. what is the likely causes and solution? ---
**Author:** ![pyrolord314](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/6a8cbe/32.png) [@pyrolord314](https://community.cartalk.com/u/pyrolord314)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2018, 7:19pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2008-toyota-corolla-starting-trouble/113023/2 "2018-03-01T19:19:07Z")
so it cranks, nearly catches, but won’t? have you had either the battery or alternator tested? ---
**Author:** ![oldtimer-11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e79b87/32.png) [@oldtimer-11](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldtimer-11)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2018, 5:01am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2008-toyota-corolla-starting-trouble/113023/3 "2018-03-02T05:01:57Z")
I don’t know what “shows or gives no hope of starting” means. ---
**Author:** ![SteveCBT](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/stevecbt/32/3192_2.png) [@SteveCBT](https://community.cartalk.com/u/SteveCBT)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2018, 12:12pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2008-toyota-corolla-starting-trouble/113023/4 "2018-03-02T12:12:23Z")
A little more info please. Does the starter continue to engage - meaning the engine is turning and trying to start or does the starter turn but not turn the engine? If the starter is engaging does the sound seem robust or is the engine barely turning - this would mean a bad battery. How many miles on the car, what maintenance has been done. If you have 100k miles time to put new plugs in. Only use the plugs specified in the manual, you can pick them up from the Toyota dealer, I have the same year and the plugs were competitively priced from the dealer, auto parts stores did not have the same but claimed to have an equivalent. ---
**Author:** ![victor05](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/53a042/32.png) [@victor05](https://community.cartalk.com/u/victor05)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2018, 10:49pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2008-toyota-corolla-starting-trouble/113023/5 "2018-03-03T22:49:16Z")
It turns the engine but doesn’t start. Thanks a bunch for your current and future response in solving this problem. ---
**Author:** ![victor05](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/53a042/32.png) [@victor05](https://community.cartalk.com/u/victor05)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2018, 10:52pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2008-toyota-corolla-starting-trouble/113023/6 "2018-03-03T22:52:52Z")
Yes it cranks and nearly catches. I have not tested the alternator. For the battery, it has been used to start another car. Thanks a bunch for your concern. ---
**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:** [March 4, 2018, 12:02am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2008-toyota-corolla-starting-trouble/113023/7 "2018-03-04T00:02:32Z")
If it cranks the engine ok, neither the battery nor the alternator are likely to be first suspects. Usually that’s a fuel or ignition system problem. Sometimes you can prime the pump by turning the key to “on” wait 5 seconds, then turn it back to off. Then repeat that 4 or 5 times. Then try starting the engine. Let us know if that helps or not. ---
**Author:** ![victor05](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/53a042/32.png) [@victor05](https://community.cartalk.com/u/victor05)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2018, 3:06pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2008-toyota-corolla-starting-trouble/113023/8 "2018-05-07T15:06:33Z")
good day, please i want to know the root cause of over heating in a car especially on toyota corolla 2008 South africa? and what do i do to avert this? regards. ---
**Author:** ![pyrolord314](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/6a8cbe/32.png) [@pyrolord314](https://community.cartalk.com/u/pyrolord314)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2018, 3:55pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2008-toyota-corolla-starting-trouble/113023/9 "2018-05-07T15:55:03Z")
> [@victor05](#): > > good day, please i want to know the root cause of over heating in a car especially on toyota corolla 2008 South africa? and what do i do to avert this? is the radiator full of 50/50 mix of coolant and distilled water? That’s the quickest and easiest thing to check first… ---
**Author:** ![victor05](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/53a042/32.png) [@victor05](https://community.cartalk.com/u/victor05)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2018, 6:26pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2008-toyota-corolla-starting-trouble/113023/10 "2018-05-07T18:26:03Z")
did not get what you meant by 50/50 mix of coolant and distilled water. ---
**Author:** ![SteveCBT](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/stevecbt/32/3192_2.png) [@SteveCBT](https://community.cartalk.com/u/SteveCBT)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2018, 7:35pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2008-toyota-corolla-starting-trouble/113023/11 "2018-05-07T19:35:54Z")
The fluid in your radiator should be 1/2 distilled water and 1/2 antifreeze. You can buy pre mixed fluid, but you are paying a lot of money for that. Easier to buy regular anti freeze and mix equal parts with water. An easy way is to get a cup or clean can, put one cup antifreeze in , one cup water, one cup antifreeze, one cup water, keep repeating, this is what is meant by a 50/50 mixture (50% water, 50% antifreeze). Your post starts with a starting problem and jumps to an overheating problem. ---
**Author:** ![victor05](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/53a042/32.png) [@victor05](https://community.cartalk.com/u/victor05)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2018, 8:55pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2008-toyota-corolla-starting-trouble/113023/12 "2018-05-07T20:55:56Z")
Hahahaha… The hard starting has been resolved. I changed fuel pump and the that problem has been resolved. I noticed the overheating yesterday half way back from church. E ---
**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:** [May 8, 2018, 2:55am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2008-toyota-corolla-starting-trouble/113023/13 "2018-05-08T02:55:49Z")
Good to hear your new fuel system parts fixed the hard to start. Re overheating, this is where to start - Low coolant level in radiator - Faulty engine thermostat (does a lot of coolant pour into the top of radiator in the top hose once it warms up?) - Engine cooling fans not spinning (if it overheats in stop and go traffic, but no on freeway) - Cooling system not holding pressure (radiator cap, small leak). Replace radiator cap. If that doesn’t fix it have a shop to a cooling system pressure test. (the symptom for this tends to be overheating after exiting during a long drive on a freeway). - Air in cooling system (bleed it) ---
**Author:** ![victor05](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/53a042/32.png) [@victor05](https://community.cartalk.com/u/victor05)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2018, 1:21pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2008-toyota-corolla-starting-trouble/113023/14 "2018-05-08T13:21:20Z")
I will do as advised and to revert when done.