My engine will not start up?

MGHC

MEMBER
2011 TOYOTA COROLLA
1.8L
4 CYL
2WD
AUTOMATIC
230,000 MILES

My car cranks but would not start after driving for 2 hours or so. It does start every morning, but after having driven for a few hours, it begins to stall when idle. Then it does not start after turning off the engine. However, if I let the car rest for an hour, it starts again. This cycle repeats itself the moment I drive again for up to two hours. I have changed my Mass Airflow Sensor a couple of times, and I most recently just changed my 4 ignition coils. I feel like I have been wasting money buying parts that are not really the cause of my vehicle's misfiring.
What else can I do?

1 Reply

JACOBANDNICKOLAS

MECHANIC
109,867 POSTS

Hi,

Often times when a crankshaft position sensor starts going bad, it will fail when it's hot. Take a look through this link and let me know if it seems to mirror what you experience:

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/symptoms-of-a-bad-crankshaft-sensor

If that sounds correct, we need to confirm. To do so, when the engine fails to start, check for ignition spark to the plugs. Here is a link that shows how it's done:

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-test-an-ignition-system

if you have or have access to a live data scan tool, check for an RPM signal when cranking the engine. No signal usually indicates a bad sensor.

Next, if you confirm no spark, here is a link that shows how to replace a sensor in general:

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/crankshaft-angle-sensor-replacement

Here are the directions specific to your vehicle. The attached pics correlate with the directions.

Remove the bolt and crank position sensor. Apply a light coat of engine oil to the O-ring on the crank position sensor. Install the crank position sensor with the bolt.

Torque : 10 Nm (102 kgf-cm, 7 ft-lbf)

Check out the diagrams (Below). Please let us know if you need anything else to get the problem fixed.

Images (Click to make bigger)