Help a gal out! When I go to start my 94 Toyota Corolla...

Make double sure the transmission is in Park. Other than that it sounds like a weak battery. If you have AAA call them for a jump start. If not, and can afford it, join AAA.

Best

Lou

It's the battery.

There is a relay that uses low current via the ignition key to close contacts that pass high current directly from the battery to the starter. What you are hearing is the high current drawing the voltage down, and releasing the relay, which raises the voltage to fire the relay again, which draws the voltage down. Voltage and current are related to each other, any you are at the point where the voltage is there under low current loads, the wipers and the radio, etc., but the voltage goes away under high current operations, starting.

If you park on a hill, you can set the key on, let the car roll in gear (2nd works well) then let the clutch out for a moment to force the tires to turn the engine over, then depress the clutch again so the car settles down, then you drive it away normally. If you have an automatic, then this trick won't work.

So Jeff, if you have, say, a poor connection at a battery post or at the ground connection for the neg. lead then you'll get this same condition won't you?...I just don't want her to run out and buy a new battery if it's not shot.

I had an uncle who had an automatic and needed a push, told his wife to come up behind him with her car...also told her that "He needed to be moving about 20 MPH"...guess wot?... :(

This is certainly possible, and a close inspection of the battery connections, the relay (high current side) connections, and the starter connection, would be in order. But, the vast majority of instances of this malfunction are caused by the battery being old. Usually, if this was a consideration, there would be relatively easy indications to observe.

And, she's still you aunt? If I was you uncle, you can be sure that the staus of your aunt after an episode like this would be in serious jeopordy.

I also suspect the battery. Turn on the dome light, then turn on the headlights. If they don't come up to full bright or the dome light goes out the battery is not supplying enough juice. Probably because the battery is bad, but (less likely) maybe because the charging system isn't charging it and even less likely because of bad battery connections.

Ken

I don't know about anywhere else in the country, but here in Utah the big name auto parts stores (Checker Auto Parts, Auto Zone, etc...) offer a free electrical systems test. Just drive your car there (if you can get it started that is) and they hook up a device which measures battery charge, and the charge that is emitted from the alternator. Whenever I've had the need to have this test run it's always been accurate... and it's FREE!

It is probably the battery or a bad connection.

Usually a sudden failure (over weekend) is the battery

But

the alternator could also not have been charging for a while causing it to be low.

I think best idea, while your husband is overseas is to join an auto club to help with these thing, especially in the winter.

A full electrical system check (freebie) is called for.

Ron

No! NO! NOT THAT! Ba-BAM!!!! LMAO!!!