My car won’t start


My car won’t start Mechanic's Assistant: Have you checked the battery, particularly the terminal connections? Are they corroded? Yes they’re fine. I have a brand new battery and [alternator](/topics-alternator-toyota/) <...

My car won’t start Mechanic's Assistant: Have you checked the battery, particularly the terminal connections? Are they corroded? Yes they’re fine. I have a brand new battery and [alternator](/topics-alternator-toyota/) Mechanic's Assistant: What is the make/model/year of your car? Toyota RAV4 2007 Mechanic's Assistant: Are you fixing your RAV4 yourself? What have you tried so far? Well I originally thought I had a bad alternator but got it replaced and the car shop I took it to says there’s nothing wrong. But it dies and the steering wheel will lock

Automotive Expert
Hello. Welcome to Just Answer. I am very sorry that you are having this frustrating issue. Please allow me to assist you. Before we begin, could you please describe in detail actually what happens when you try to start the vehicle? Thanks!

When I turn the keep all the lights turn on and then it makes a clicking sound and only the oil light will flicker with the sound.
Automotive Expert
Please turn the headlamps on. Observe if they go dim while attempting to start the vehicle.

They don't dimWhen I jump it it starts up just fine
Automotive Expert
Sound to me like you have a dead cell in your battery. If you jump it, you are bypassing the battery in the vehicle. This could also be that the alternator is not charging the battery properly

I had my battery tested they said it was fine. Would that not show up in the tests?
Automotive Expert
Depends on the testing method they used. A simple voltmeter check does not indicate weak battery cells.

Oh okay yeah I took it to autozone so they probably used the simple one
Automotive Expert
That is not good. If you can jump the battery, and it starts, the battery is suspect. Please be advised that if the alternator is not operating properly, it can not charge the battery properly, and under some failure conditions, it can actually cause the battery to go dead.

I would need a new battery?
Automotive Expert
I would recommend a proper battery and alternator out put test before doing anything else. The results of these tests will determine what to do next.

Where would be the best place?
Automotive Expert
There is no substitute for the services of a Toyota dealership service department. They have all of the necessary tools to properly test your alternator and battery.

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