Engine Won't Start... HELP!!!

I'm with him. If you were in Raleigh, I bet we would have it fixed.

 

x3.

 

It may be the starter, but shouldn't that be the first thing they should have checked? Granted this is the dealership we are talking about here. The guy in charge seemed like a really good guy though.

Again, the thing that makes me believe its not the wiring is that the radio turns off whenever I tried to start it. This leads me to believe that the system knows I'm trying to start it, but something mechanically just isn't budging. Whatever though, I have to go back to Raleigh tomorrow and I really don't want to drive my moms rav4 back. Hopefully they get this fixed before they close at 12.

Also, the guy was like "we checked your fuses and saw where you had messed with the fog light relay and had done a few aftermarket stuff on the interior." Nothing I've done should have any affect on the car starting.

ETA: If it is an electrical problem, I'm hoping it is with the engine wiring, that way it would be covered under the power train warranty. However, I bet it won't even be related to that at all.

 

Works every time. If you can't fix it, get a bigger hammer!

Good luck op.

 

True that.

 

Like I said you should be able to jump the ignition circuit and the starter should turn. And they should be able to test to see if you're getting 12v when the switch is turned. If not then it's something between the switch the ecm and the solenoid.

 

Tell Em to put your shit back together and get their hands off of it because they don't know what the hell they are doing!!

 

I'm pretty sure they would have exhausted every mechanical issue it could be before yanking apart the dash. When I was there to see progress this afternoon the tech dude was looking over by the ecm, I guess checking voltages on various wires. My father said the tech said they were befuddled by this and hadn't seen it before.

As much as I would like to do this, it still wouldn't be able to start

 

UPDATE 2:

Guy called a little bit ago and said a relay that deals with the engine immobilizer was not functioning properly. What really sucks in this is that 1) they dont have any of these relays laying around so it'll be Monday before I get it back, after I'm supposed to leave to go back to college and 2) they spent at least 4-5 hours to find a bad relay, which is a rip in labor costs.

One interesting thing is the guy did ask if we had mice, which is interesting because of the bird story I had said earlier.

Edit: just saw the truck at the dealer. All of the dash was yanked out including my aftermarket stereo. What are the odds that thing works fully when I get it back?

 

I guess I'm a bit confused with the findings. I know the immobilizer is necessary to run, but not necessary to crank. Are you speaking of the starter relay maybe? Was the entire dash pad removed? I can see it being necessary to remove the glovebox, lower panel on the driver's side, steering column cover, and maybe radio, but not the entire dash pad. They have to do this to check continuity of wires, ignition switch, and the junction next to the ecm. It is a bummer that they had to go this far, but sometimes it's necessary.

 

I am sorry for your loss may it rest in pieces at the hands of those monkeys.

 

Dash never goes back in the same, rattle trap city.

 

Way to make him feel all warm inside.

Although you may have to go back in OP and tighten back up if there are any rattles. If you catch them in time make them fix it. However mine has been ripped off twice and no problems with it not being on correct.

 

I've taken most of it off before many times so I'll probably go back in and tighten everything up. The problem is my stereo barely fits in the spot because of all the extra cabling and wires behind it.

I won't see it again until my father brings it up to me next week at college. I'll have to spend next weekend making sure all of my aftermarket stuff was put back in the right way.

 

Not everyone that works at a dealership is a "Monkey".

 

These particular ones sound like they are.

 

I forgot to mention, I snapped this picture while I was at the dealer earlier today:

 

Unreal. It's hard to believe the dash has to come apart like that for a problem like this. I was thinking fuse, solenoid, relay (all under the hood)...etc


I'm dying to know what they come up with as the problem..... and the price! Good luck Chad.

 

They've said the problem was a relay, specifically the relay that deals with the engine immobilizer. I find it incredibly odd that the WHOLE dash and center console needed to be ripped out to figure out the problem was really in the engine bay fuse box. My only explanation I could come up with for that was they needed to check some voltages on some wires that are involved in that process behind the dash to see if that was the issue.

For some reason they didn't have any of these specific relays lying around the dealership and had to order one. Had they had one I would have had them put it in and I would put together my dash and console myself.

PS: I should have taken a picture of it while I was there. It really was amazing to see how much they had dismantled.

 

Isnt that a 4runner interior?