00 Corolla sputters after re-connecting battery

lv2xlr8

lv2xlr8

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 10, 2007
Messages
523
Location
Chicago Burbs
Car(s)
99 Mistubishi Galant
So I was swapping out some dash lights on the car and disconnected the battery for an hour or so. I re-connected the battery and now the engine shakes like all hell. And it sounds weak/poor. I don't know if it's just because the battery or what? The battery is almost 4 years old.

Any [quick] advice would be great!
 
Check the battery cables and terminals for cracking and clean the terminals. Then go drive it for 10 miles to see if the ECU just needs to "relearn" the car.
 
Spectre said:
Check the battery cables and terminals for cracking and clean the terminals. Then go drive it for 10 miles to see if the ECU just needs to "relearn" the car.
Click to expand...

I disconnected the battery again and drove to autozone to get it tested. The kid tested it and said it was 'Ok' but I wasn't sure if he was entirely too bright. He told me you can't disconnect a battery for an hour or you'll cause damage to electronic components. I asked him, how would you do repair work or work on the dash or etc...and he didn't have a response.

Anywho, I brought the battery back, put it back in, it ran for 30 seconds and died. Any ideas? I cleaned the terminals as best as I could. I should point out, it's not my car...it's my dad car and he's pissed :lol: so should I jump it or what?
 
Ran for 30 seconds and died? Jump starting wouldn't harm so try.. Well, when our vitz's battery died, and then even when we jump started it, it wouldn't stay running for long.. .. and I don't know why.. but when the battery was changed all was back to normal, however, with my great suzuki alto, that never happens.. I don't know whats behind this..


and lol @ that kid.


While you were working on the dash, how did it go? :p
 
Last edited:
lv2xlr8 said:
I disconnected the battery again and drove to autozone to get it tested. The kid tested it and said it was 'Ok' but I wasn't sure if he was entirely too bright. He told me you can't disconnect a battery for an hour or you'll cause damage to electronic components. I asked him, how would you do repair work or work on the dash or etc...and he didn't have a response.

Anywho, I brought the battery back, put it back in, it ran for 30 seconds and died. Any ideas? I cleaned the terminals as best as I could. I should point out, it's not my car...it's my dad car and he's pissed :lol: so should I jump it or what?
Click to expand...

Once the engine kicks in the battery isn't needed. You might have damaged the ECU somehow.
 
argatoga said:
Once the engine kicks in the battery isn't needed. You might have damaged the ECU somehow.
Click to expand...

How could I have damaged the ECU? And the engine never properly started, it was sputtering the whole time.
 
Eh, it won't damage most electrical components unless you short it out or reconnect the battery improperly, etc.

Here's a question, did you make sure you reconnected the dash properly?
 
Spectre said:
Eh, it won't damage most electrical components unless you short it out or reconnect the battery improperly, etc.

Here's a question, did you make sure you reconnected the dash properly?
Click to expand...

I connected the battery and the dash back properly. *shrugs* Any other ideas? I really hope to not have the car towed.
 
So, I went to a mechanic and it had nothing to do with the battery. I neglected to mentioned in the original post that the check engine light bulb was burnt out (which I found out when I removed the dash to change the bulbs for the fuel gauge and speedo.)

It turns out that the spark plugs were corroded because of a restricted fuel filter and possibly some bad gas. He said that caused the computer (which I would imagine he means the ECU) to tell the fuel pump to pump more gas causing the car to run lean causing the exhaust to get too hot. He said when he removed the O2 sensor that the car will run better but without that, it's choking and it keeps dying.

What he wants to replace:
Fuel Filter
MAF - OE
Exhaust from the cat backwards - universal and not OE
He said there is a possibility that the ECU may need to be replaced but he didn't find any damage or any spikes in voltages so it's very unlikely.

Does this sound right? It definitely has been a domino affect but it seems to make unfortunate sense.
 
Last edited:
That won't be cheap. Also more gas = rich not lean.

I agree with Spectre that doesn't make sense. Corroded spark plugs from fuel starvation? Why would the headers get super hot if it isn't getting enough fuel? Also if it is a fuel issue why is he replacing the Mass Air Flow sensor?
 
Last edited:
Spectre said:
No, that makes little sense. Go somewhere else.
Click to expand...

Care to elaborate some? A specific part of what he said or?

argatoga said:
That won't be cheap. Also more gas = rich not lean.
Click to expand...

Yeah assuming he is correct in his diagnosis, it won't be. *shrugs* Were his words, personally, I always mix up the two.
 
argatoga said:
That won't be cheap. Also more gas = rich not lean.

I agree with Spectre that doesn't make sense. Corroded spark plugs from fuel starvation? Why would the headers get super hot if it isn't getting enough fuel? Also if it is a fuel issue why is he replacing the Mass Air Flow sensor?
Click to expand...

Can bad gas corrode spark plugs?

He said he wanted to replace the exhaust from the cat back so I would imagine the headers are okay. Did you mean "Why wouldn't?"

I imagine he wants to replace the MAF because the ECU is not delivering the correct mixture of air/fuel.
 
lv2xlr8 said:
Can bad gas corrode spark plugs?
Click to expand...

Yes bad gas can, but according to what he said the bad gas was clogging the fuel filter.


lv2xlr8 said:
He said he wanted to replace the exhaust from the cat back so I would imagine the headers are okay. Did you mean "Why wouldn't?"
Click to expand...

Engines/exhausts get hot because they burn fuel. Running lean means less fuel and heat. Air doesn't generate heat by itself.

lv2xlr8 said:
I imagine he wants to replace the MAF because the ECU is not delivering the correct mixture of air/fuel.
Click to expand...

According to what you said the guy told you it was bad gas and a fuel filter problem not an intake issue. Also 9/10 times someone says a MAF sensor is bad they are bull shitting you. Spend $6 on a can of MAF sensor cleaner and clean it.
 
Last edited:
Running lean actually increases combustion temperature, not the other way around.
 
Spectre said:
Running lean actually increases combustion temperature, not the other way around.
Click to expand...

I would have thought the other way. I stand corrected.

//Thanks to Google I now know that the "extra" fuel is used to carry away heat.
The_More_You_Know.jpg
 
Last edited:
argatoga said:
Spend $6 on a can of MAF sensor cleaner and clean it.
Click to expand...
+1 for this idea. I always clean the MAF on Corolla/Echo/Yaris etc when I service them. Even carby cleaner will work fine.

I don't think it will solve the problem though :? Hard to say without inspecting the car myself
 
boganbusman said:
+1 for this idea. I always clean the MAF on Corolla/Echo/Yaris etc when I service them. Even carby cleaner will work fine.

I don't think it will solve the problem though :? Hard to say without inspecting the car myself
Click to expand...

Yeah I looked into it some more and supposedly high mileage corollas tend to have failing MAFs. Our car has 144,000 miles on it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top