Car turns over but won't start

Maintenance/Repairs
1

My 98 corolla has set for a year plus and the serpentine belt is stuck and will not let the motor turn over fast enough to start. The battery is fully charged, the gas tank is full, the belt is in good shape. The car ran just fine the one year I owned it before sitting so long. I sprayed the belt with belt dressing. Could the alternator or something else be stuck? Should I remove the belt and then reinstall it?

2

you dont “need” the serp belt to start car. remove it if you think that is the reason it wont start. than once you get car started, put the serp belt back on. you seem preoccupied with serp belt issues. you only need a good battery and fresh gas to start car. unless a rat ate some wiring that you cant see

3

Are the battery connections clean and tight? Also, chech and clean starter connections and all grounds. It could be the brushes in the starter are worn.

4

I would do as Cavell said. Take the belt off and see if it will start. If it does shut it down but before putting the belt back on, hand turn each device that the belt drives, including the tensioner and idlers, to see if any are binding.

5

I’ll go a little off topic

Apparently the pension for retired comedians is very low

Otherwise, he wouldn’t be driving a 1998 Corolla

Whether that’s OP’s real name, or he’s trying to be funny, I couldn’t resist

6

Loosen the tentioner and while holding it there…try turning each pully that it runs on. If you find a hard to turn pully, that’s where your problem is. every pully should turn pretty easy except for the crankshaft pully.

Yosemite

7

It will be hard to hold the tensioner off the belt while you check for frozen pulleys…Just remove the belt and then check everything…Yes, you can try to start it with the belt removed but don’t run it for long as the water pump will not be running…The water pump is the most likely problem, unless it’s driven by the TIMING belt…

8

This Corolla has a timing chain

9

I like the belt removal idea, but no one has touched on the fact that this car has sat for a year. I’d be concerned with bad gas issues, clogged fuel filters, etc.