# Cannot Start Car Normally **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** starting, corolla, toyota\ **Created:** [November 8, 2009, 7:11pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/cannot-start-car-normally/39210 "2009-11-08T19:11:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Camcortoy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@Camcortoy](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Camcortoy)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2009, 7:11pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/cannot-start-car-normally/39210/1 "2009-11-08T19:11:24Z")
When I start the car by switching the key it does not start. I checked the battery and it is okay. I cleaned the terminals and they are okay. The only way I can start the car is by pushing the accelerator all the way in while turning the key and then the car starts. It seems that it is not getting fuel to start or there is a bad connection or what? Can someone advise as to what kind of service the car needs? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![tardis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f0a364/32.png) [@tardis](https://community.cartalk.com/u/tardis)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2009, 8:58pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/cannot-start-car-normally/39210/2 "2009-11-08T20:58:26Z")
What year is this Corolla? ---
**Author:** ![Camcortoy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@Camcortoy](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Camcortoy)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2009, 10:51pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/cannot-start-car-normally/39210/3 "2009-11-08T22:51:57Z")
Toyota Corolla LE 2000 ---
**Author:** ![tardis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f0a364/32.png) [@tardis](https://community.cartalk.com/u/tardis)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2009, 11:37pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/cannot-start-car-normally/39210/4 "2009-11-08T23:37:36Z")
On the car/year, holding the gas pedal all the way down while starting causes the car to go into “clear flood” mode. You may have leaking fuel injector(s) or a leaking fuel pressure regulator. You need to get this problem correctly diagnosed and fixed before you do [more] damage to the engine or converters. I am assuming that by “does not start” you mean that the engine won’t fire up, but that the starter does operate (you can hear it rotating the crankshaft in the engine). If this assumption is incorrect, then the advise above will be incorrect too. ---
**Author:** ![Camcortoy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@Camcortoy](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Camcortoy)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2009, 12:32am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/cannot-start-car-normally/39210/5 "2009-11-09T00:32:25Z")
When I said ‘does not start’ I meant that I do not hear any noise. It is like having a completely dead battery. But if I start the car while holding down the gas pedal I hear the cranking noise and immediately the engine starts and everything else is then normal. I was told that the problem was a bad connection with the battery and that I needed to clean the battery posts and terminals which I did but this action did not work either. So, it must be something else. ---
**Author:** ![tardis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f0a364/32.png) [@tardis](https://community.cartalk.com/u/tardis)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2009, 12:37am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/cannot-start-car-normally/39210/6 "2009-11-09T00:37:14Z")
In that case… Maybe you should begin with a careful check of the ground strap between the engine and the car body.