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Old 06-10-2016, 06:18 PM   #1
VegeLasagna
 
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Changed Spark Plugs and Now Car Won't Start

BACKGROUND:

So I have a 2009 Yaris with 59,000 miles on it. Haven't done any real maintenance on it other than scheduled oil changes every 5000 or 10,000 miles.

For awhile, I noticed my battery is getting weak, about a year now, mainly when I'm charging my phone with engine off for awhile, and start the car, it cranks slow, but still starts. It hasn't done this in a few months though, but the last two weeks, I've noticed my car, when driving would drive slightly weak... like won't accelerate as fast or slightly struggle trying to get past 70 mph. It's nothing major and will only be noticeable to ME, since I know how my car drives.

The last weak, I noticed the MAINTENCE REQUIRED light go off on my car, only when I start my car and disappear right afterwards. I was thinking maybe it was because I'm about 600 miles away from my scheduled oil service change, since that's what usually what happens when I'm about 500 miles away from my scheduled oil change service.


PROBLEM:

Anyways, my dad changed the spark plugs today. Got NGK plugs. After changing them, car wouldn't start. Would barely get a spark. When trying to start car, it wouldn't crank and a screeching sound would come on. He tried putting back the old spark plugs back in and still same thing.

After a few hours trying to figure out what was wrong, I figured it was the battery, he said he checked battery and it was still good, but i haven't changed battery since 2009. So we tried jump starting the battery with another car and the engine FINALLY CRANKED... but wouldn't start still.

We've checked the gap of spark plugs and its fine.

Is it just the battery that's the problem? Wouldn't jumping the battery allow it to start?

The car was fine before the spark plug change (other than the weak battery and slightly low feeling driving power)

I don't know anything about cars, but my dad does, and he's stumped.

Thanks.
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Old 06-10-2016, 06:52 PM   #2
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Did you try putting the old plugs back in?
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Old 06-10-2016, 07:18 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CTScott View Post
Did you try putting the old plugs back in?
Ya, we put the old plugs back in.

So, we got the car to start.

BUT... now the car shakes and during idle, the engine shakes. Check engine light came on too.

Tried to drive it, but once we put the car in Reverse, the car shook like crazy. Definitely not sure what the problem is.
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Old 06-10-2016, 07:37 PM   #4
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Clean the throttle body. If you disconnected the battery you may be having issues with the carbon deposits in the throttle body affecting the calibration of the butterfly (which occurs when you reconnect the battery). If it runs fine after that, then you got a bad set of new plugs.
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Old 06-10-2016, 08:11 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CTScott View Post
Clean the throttle body. If you disconnected the battery you may be having issues with the carbon deposits in the throttle body affecting the calibration of the butterfly (which occurs when you reconnect the battery). If it runs fine after that, then you got a bad set of new plugs.

We never disconnected the battery. But I'll try cleaning the throttle body. Won't be able to get to it til tomorrow since I have to go to work now. Thanks for the help. Appreciate it.

Ugh, should have just taken it to the shop. Just changed the spark plugs and now all hell breaks loose lol.
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Old 06-10-2016, 08:17 PM   #6
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Did you put the coil plugs(the wires connecting to the coils) back in the right order?
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Old 06-10-2016, 08:31 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CTScott View Post
Clean the throttle body. If you disconnected the battery you may be having issues with the carbon deposits in the throttle body affecting the calibration of the butterfly (which occurs when you reconnect the battery). If it runs fine after that, then you got a bad set of new plugs.
this sounds right and usually the problem described, its by wire so key forward and have second person open throttle body by pushing on pedal than clean it .
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Old 06-10-2016, 08:39 PM   #8
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Originally Posted by LTHatch View Post
Did you put the coil plugs(the wires connecting to the coils) back in the right order?
This is one that could definitely cause big issues, but with the way the harness lays it would be difficult to do so.
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Old 06-10-2016, 09:52 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CTScott View Post
This is one that could definitely cause big issues, but with the way the harness lays it would be difficult to do so.
Is there a surefire way to tell that it's in the right order. I asked my dad and he said he put it back in the right order
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Old 06-10-2016, 09:54 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by VegeLasagna View Post
Is there a surefire way to tell that it's in the right order. I asked my dad and he said he put it back in the right order
I find it hard to believe u mixed it up its not like old wires, I still say throttle body needs a good clean, like when u replaced a battery on a high km car on flyby wire this happens 90% of the time.

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Old 06-10-2016, 10:39 PM   #11
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Originally Posted by Exiwolfman View Post
I find it hard to believe u mixed it up its not like old wires, I still say throttle body needs a good clean, like when u replaced a battery on a high km car on flyby wire this happens 90% of the time.

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K I'll try that thanks. The car is shaking like crazy and when pressing down on gas, it shakes even more and makes a not so good sound kind of like the muffler is loud.
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Old 06-11-2016, 04:20 PM   #12
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So I just finished cleaning the throttle body.

It didn't work. Still the same thing.

The exhaust in the back is pumping.
And I took a pic of the spark plugs (the new ones that we put in) and they're black now.
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Old 06-11-2016, 04:22 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by VegeLasagna View Post
So I just finished cleaning the throttle body.

It didn't work. Still the same thing.

The exhaust in the back is pumping.
And I took a pic of the spark plugs (the new ones that we put in) and they're black now.
Do you have any modifications to the car, as those are crazy fouled?
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Old 06-11-2016, 04:27 PM   #14
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Do you have any modifications to the car, as those are crazy fouled?
No. Only mod is headlights.
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Old 06-11-2016, 05:53 PM   #15
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Originally Posted by VegeLasagna View Post
No. Only mod is headlights.
Truly a strange issue. Did you per chance fill up with gas just before you replaced the plugs?
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Old 06-11-2016, 06:19 PM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by VegeLasagna View Post
And I took a pic of the spark plugs (the new ones that we put in) and they're black now.
they wont work in this state (and probably never). clearly the engine runs only on 1-2 cylinders. did you somehow damage the coils during installation? are the plugs properly screwed in and properly torqued? what is the condition of the old plugs now?
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Old 06-11-2016, 06:43 PM   #17
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Post a picture of the way you have the coils installed. It sure sounds like you mixed up two coil connectors, though I am not sure it possible on these cars. Are all 4 spark plugs black or just some of them?
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Old 06-12-2016, 08:57 AM   #18
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Mixing the connectors up is easy to do, especially cyl 3&4. To paint my valve cover i removed it, every symptom hes having now is what i had(flashing check engine, engine barely idling, shaking, exhaust sounded like crap). Its a easy mistake to make if you're a new fella or didn't take a picture of everything before disassembly.
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