2012 Camry SE w/push start does nothing!

Asked by Ewebster74 Jan 24, 2016 at 05:09 PM about the 2012 Toyota Camry SE

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

Last night I had to jump start my 2012 Camry SE.  It
started up and restarted fine after I let it run for a
while.  My wife then went to use it this morning and
the car would not unlock (batteries in fob are only a
month old) and when she got in it would not start
(battery is only a couple of months old).  The only
thing that lights up in the car and on the dash is a
green smart key indicator when I try starting it.  
Then when I push the start button again the check
engine light comes on.  Also, the anti-theft light is
blinking during the whole time.  Plus, I can't get the
car out of park to get it out of my garage.

3 Answers

The diagnosis would usually start with a Voltmeter across the battery to checks it's state of charge. Should be between 12.3-12.6 volts DC. Then a scan tool would be attached to the Diagnostic Connector inside the vehicle to determine if any codes are set. About all you can do is to again attempt to jump start the vehicle and see what happens. If she starts and runs....see if the Check Engine Light is on or blinking. Get back to us with an update.

I did not have voltmeter in the house, so decided to take the battery to the auto parts store to have them check it. Low and behold it was at 7V. It was dead. After I installed a new battery everything came back on, but when I go to start it the car repeatedly tried to start and then stops itself. Is there some kind of trick to get running right?

Unfortunately...disconnecting a battery on todays modern cars results in some interesting problems. You wind up ERRASING MEMORY stored in the computer. Normal functions need to be RESET. My guess is your Theft Deterrent system needs to be-re set. This function usually requires a FACTORY SCAN TOOL which a Toyota Dealer certainly should have. Some repair garages may have a scan tool to perform these resets. About all you can do at this point is to READ your owners manual and see if there is a MANUAL RESET you can perform......or....go on line and Google RESETS for your make ...model...year. In the final analysis...you might have to have this vehicle TOWED to a suitable repair facility which has a scan tool which can perform RESETS. Most repair garages have a special tool called a "Memory Saver" which they plug into you Cigar Lighter while a battery D/C is performed. This tool will effectively keep Computer Memory alive while a repair is performed.....avoiding a reset procedure. Good Luck.

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