# Car starts only after 3 or 4 tries... why?

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-starts-only-after-3-or-4-tries-why/170724>\
**Category:** Power/Fuel\
**Tags:** solara, toyota\
**Created:** [October 2, 2020, 12:12am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-starts-only-after-3-or-4-tries-why/170724 "2020-10-02T00:12:12Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Toyota-007](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c2a13f/32.png) [@Toyota-007](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Toyota-007)\
**Post date:** [October 2, 2020, 12:12am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-starts-only-after-3-or-4-tries-why/170724/1 "2020-10-02T00:12:12Z")

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Hi. Any help appreciated ! 2007 Solara, 220k miles, coupe, starts only after 3 or 4 tries intermittently. Goes days with starting on first try and then does not start after 3 or 4 tries. Battery and Alternator are 1 year old. I will change starter soon but not sure if it is that. All spark plugs were changed at 175k with high quality Toyota plugs. Should I change fuel filter? If I do, what else should I change with fuel filter? Any ideas?

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**Author:** ![shanonia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de053/32.png) [@shanonia](https://community.cartalk.com/u/shanonia)\
**Post date:** [October 2, 2020, 12:27am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-starts-only-after-3-or-4-tries-why/170724/2 "2020-10-02T00:27:26Z")

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Fuel may be leaking back into the tank while it sits. Try the key dance: turn the key to Run (not all the way to Start) and wait a couple seconds. The fuel pump should run then shut off. You may hear it. Key to Off then back to Run and after a couple seconds back to Off. After a few of these “dance” steps there should be enough fuel and fuel pressure at the engine. Turn the key to Start. And…?

Good luck and please let us know.

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**Author:** ![ledhed75](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f6c823/32.png) [@ledhed75](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ledhed75)\
**Post date:** [October 2, 2020, 7:16pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-starts-only-after-3-or-4-tries-why/170724/3 "2020-10-02T19:16:18Z")

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I was thinking weak or dying fuel pump myself.

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**Author:** ![Barkydog](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/barkydog/32/2470_2.png) [@Barkydog](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Barkydog)\
**Post date:** [October 2, 2020, 8:03pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-starts-only-after-3-or-4-tries-why/170724/4 "2020-10-02T20:03:02Z")

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> [@Toyota-007](#):
>
> then does not start a

Is the starter motor cranking? If so replacing the starter motor would not be my first choice. Key dance as suggested above.

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**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:** [October 2, 2020, 8:05pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-starts-only-after-3-or-4-tries-why/170724/5 "2020-10-02T20:05:23Z")

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If it’s intermittent no-start, nothing happens when you turn the key, then it’s probably the starter solenoid contacts, a common problem on Toyotas once they’re over 100k miles. Is this the original starter?