2005 Toyota Avalon - maintenance required light was blinking.
Asked by AudreyD Dec 12, 2014 at 01:14 PM about the 2005 Toyota Avalon XLS
Question type: Maintenance & Repair
Hello. My car will not turn over - not even a click. The last three times I started my car,
the maintenance required light blinked several times then went off. Last night, on my way
to the airport (of course), my car would not start. All the dash lights came on when I
turned the key, but alas, nothing else happened. A month or so ago, I had a dead cell in
my 7 month old Toyota battery. I had to jump the car many times - the dealership
repeatedly told me the battery was "just fine." The electrical shop found the dead cell -
then the dealership replaced the battery. Everything was fine until the blinking light
started a few days ago. Any guidance is much appreciated. Thank you.
5 Answers
Bad battery connection or alternator problem ... anything from a loose belt to a bad alternator
Typically when this happens it's a bad starter. But I have never heard of the CEL coming on for a bad starter. First check all of your fuses under the hood and make sure none are blown. If possible, jack up the front of the car. After car is up, locate the starter. Have someone hold the key to the ON position like they are starting the car. While they hold the key, rap the starter with a hammer. If suddenly the car turns over, that means the starter is bad. I would also not take my car back to the dealer. If they couldn't figure out a simple battery issue with all of the diagnostic equipment they have, they are clearly either stupid or crooks! If not able to do the above starter test, try to jump the car. You may have a parasitic draw that is killing your battery.
Thank you so very much! I can't do the starter test, but there is a great, honest mechanic down the street who will help me with that. When I had to jump the car everyday, sometimes several times a day, did I harm/damage anything? I am concerned about the parasitic draw. I was sideswiped by a semi truck/trailer on the interstate a few years ago & my electric mirror was torn off - nearly the entire passenger side of the car was damaged (YIKES!) Recently, the automatic widow has gone a little nutty on occasion - it goes up & then immediately back down. Could that be linked to the parasitic draw? That sounds very expensive to diagnose. Is there an obvious place to start? Bless you for helping me.
Yep ... I sure hope you turned it in to your insurance ... sometimes secondary problems will appear after other repairs are made. Good luck God Bless
No, a side swipe should not cause a parasitic draw. If you have an anti theft system, then yes, that could be the problem. I can't tell you how many problems are related to anti theft systems! I will never have one in my vehicle! Just a dead battery can cause so many problems. The window problem is not a parasitic draw problem. If you don't have an anti theft system, then I would suspect some sort of electrical problem. If windows are dropping for no reason, I would suspect a faulty window switch.
