new to scions.......

[518sciontc]

Im new to the forums but i recently bought a 06 scion tc it is a auto has 101k on it and its silver.i added a lower grill with the lights and i hooked the lights up to the battery and went to start the car and it was idling really low and dies after 5 mins and then wont stay started after that all i did was hook it right up to the battery and so i unhooked it and then it still idled low and wouldnt stay running anyone know what would cause this i didnt cross any wiring and the only wires i touched were the battery cables and im sure but any idea of wats wrong with the car?

[navylife59]

First, try loosening you battery terminals, twist them back and forth a bit, then re-tighten. If there is any corrosion buildup, then clean that off. You may need to put a battery charger on it if it still won't start. If that fails, take the battery to Autozone to have the it load tested. If it is bad, replace. If it is good, then it might be a problem with you charging system.

Try this Tech Articles
http://www.club-tc.com/forums/genera...r-battery.html
http://www.club-tc.com/forums/genera...html#post41784

[518sciontc]

i had the battery checked out and it was good alternator is good and i have cleaned the terminals real good and it still didnt want to start i let it sit overnight and the car started fine in the morning i dont know what is wrong with it other then when the terminals are touched it doesnt like start or run correctly after that also the master switch wont roll down passenger window but the power is there as the light is on for it showing there is power and the passenger window isnt being fully auto like it suppose to be any ideas about that someone said there is a code i have to enter but never told me how to do it idk if thats true but...you never know let me know if you know anything about this thanks for the help

[518sciontc]

well i found out i had to reprogram the passenger side window on the pass side so i did that and now it works again fine so my question is there a short in the terminal wires or wat?

[navylife59]

It might be a problem with the Scion Immobilizer. I have had times when my car just would not start. It was having trouble verifying the code on my master keys. I just had to let it sit for about 5-10mins and it would start. I also have had a slow start where the motor had to crank over several times before it actually started to rotate on it's on. When you turn on your ignition switch to the "ON" position, do you here the fuel pump running. It should be running to pressurize the fuel rail. If you don't hear it, then that would be a sign that your Immobilizer is acting up.

If your engine does nothing when you turn the key to "Start" then it could be a problem with the starter. They work fairly well but like all starters, the Bendix arm can get sludged up from contamination.

[CadenceScion]

Welcome to Club-tC!

[navylife59]

Good to see ya back there Cadence!

[CadenceScion]

Thanks Scott, its good to be back!

[navylife59]

I was about to send out the Scion Posse to look fer ya.

[CadenceScion]

I wouldn't have blamed you, our local ISP went down for 3 weeks and it just came back up this morning.

[518sciontc]

I honestly didnt even know there was a "scion immobilizer" i never heard of that before but i guess there is a first for everything...next time i touch the wires i will have to listen for that i was just in panic mode when the car didnt start and stay running after and then when it did start it was running on like 2 cylinders or at least i thought and then the car died but i will look into it thanks for all the help

[navylife59]

My first impression was that you were having difficulty getting the motor to start. Pretty much all Toyota/Lexus/Scion vehicles are equipped with an Engine Immobilizer system. The key has an embedded chip in it that when you insert it into the ignition a key transponder excites the chip via a Hall-Effect transistor to retrieve the encrypted code. This checked against what is programmed into the ECM. If it matches, the the fuel pump and ignition circuits are energized. If not, the fuel pump circuit is deactivated along with the ignition circuits. Sounds like this is a different issue.
Is your MIL (aka Check Engine Light to the Honda crowd) illuminated? You sound like you just might be in ECM Fail-Safe mode aka "limp mode". This could be caused by many different issues, but sometimes can happen from the top-level reset that occurs any time the battery is disconnected. Follow the links to learn more.