I have a strange situation that occurred and need some help.
Last night my sister-in-law tried to start her 2000 Toyota Siena after packing it up for a trip. When she turned the key, all she got was the solenoid clicking.
We first tried to jump it with my 1999 Camry, which has the same V6 engine, but that didn’t work.
I cleaned the terminals on the Siena and then, noticing my Camry’s terminals were pretty much covered with corrosion, cleaned them as well.
I then tried to jump the Siena with my Camry and found that it had the same clicking solenoid with out starting problem going on.
Another car got the Siena jumped and they were on their way. Meanwhile, I still can’t get my Camry to start without jumping it. I cleaned all of its terminals with baking soda, water and a brush as well as with a terminal head cleaner.
Every time I try to start the Camry, it doesn’t turn over. I can only get the clicking. I’ve jumped it, and it will go, and I’ve driven for a whole hour straight with the A/C on, lights on and radio going, only to get to my destination, turn off the car and not be able to start it again when I try again.
Any ideas?
How Old Is The Camry’s Battery?
A 5-6 year-old battery doesn’t owe you anythiing. Take the car to a chain auto parts store, like Advance, and have them test the car’s battery/charging system. Many of these places offer free checks.
A new battery just might be in order.
CSA
The oxide layer can be pretty tough. Use a wire brush (not a plastic one) to clean the terminals and the battery posts. The cable wire strands may be corroded, also. If they are, you should replace the cables.
The clicking at the starter solenoid means that connections, including switches (ignition switch, neutral safety switch) have poor connections/contacts which drops the voltage. You could find the poor connections by checking the voltage at the solenoid, and along the wire, back through the switches to the battery.