# Strange Intermittent Starting Problem **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** camry, toyota\ **Created:** [March 19, 2015, 6:59pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/strange-intermittent-starting-problem/89362 "2015-03-19T18:59:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ksgeezer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9dc877/32.png) [@ksgeezer](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ksgeezer)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2015, 6:59pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/strange-intermittent-starting-problem/89362/1 "2015-03-19T18:59:09Z")
My 4 cylinder 2009 Camry XLE has a strange intermittent starting problem. Twice in the last month when I tried to start it absolutely nothing happened. There was no sound and the interior lights did not come on. I suspected that it might be the battery even though the battery is only a year old. However, when I tried to start it a few minutes later it started with no problems. The only sign that something was wrong was that the clock was off by several hours and the radio had lost its presets. The symptoms were the same both times this happened, and between occurrences everything was fine. Any suggestions? ---
**Author:** ![knfenimore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9fc348/32.png) [@knfenimore](https://community.cartalk.com/u/knfenimore)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2015, 7:17pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/strange-intermittent-starting-problem/89362/2 "2015-03-19T19:17:03Z")
need a new battery and connections tight and clean. ---
**Author:** ![Vtoyguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/c68b51/32.png) [@Vtoyguy](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Vtoyguy)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2015, 5:39pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/strange-intermittent-starting-problem/89362/3 "2015-03-20T17:39:53Z")
It’s not the battery. If it was it wouldn’t go completely dead and then fully back to life. It probably is a bad ground connection from the battery. Clean the battery and cable terminals and clean the battery connection to ground. ---
**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:** [March 20, 2015, 5:45pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/strange-intermittent-starting-problem/89362/4 "2015-03-20T17:45:37Z")
First thing is battery connections. If they’re good, it could be the starter solenoid contacts - how many miles? ---
**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:** [March 20, 2015, 6:36pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/strange-intermittent-starting-problem/89362/5 "2015-03-20T18:36:27Z")
Here’s another possibility - the shifter safety switch. The next time it happens try jiggling the shifter. If that doesn’t work try starting with it in neutral (foot on the brake, of course). ---
**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 21, 2015, 4:02am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/strange-intermittent-starting-problem/89362/6 "2015-03-21T04:02:22Z")
Explain what you mean by “the interior lights didn’t come on”. Do you mean the dash lights? Or the dome light? When this occurs, do other electrical components like the radio and the headlights work? ---
**Author:** ![knfenimore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9fc348/32.png) [@knfenimore](https://community.cartalk.com/u/knfenimore)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2015, 1:45am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/strange-intermittent-starting-problem/89362/7 "2015-03-22T01:45:29Z")
The only reason I said battery plus connections, was many people have old off gassing batteries. This corrodes the connections, but battery still isn’t dead.