2010 1.3 : Stop/start Sometimes Won't Start

March 2, 2015

I've had a 2010 Yaris 1.33 for nearly 4 years now, and never had any problems with the stop/start system, until this weekend.

On both Saturday and Sunday, at traffic lights, the engine stopped but wouldn't restart when I dipped the clutch. Both times, the display (speedo etc.) went black apart from a thin line along the bottom. It took a few seconds before the engine would start on the key.

It's not every time, because shortly after the first time I joined a queue of stop/start traffic, and the engine cut out and restarted every time I'd moved forward.

It's possible that I simply stalled it, and I'd like it if that were the cause, but I think that's unlikely after 4 years. What is possible is that I was in third gear rather than first, but I don't think the display would go black if I'd merely stalled it. The problem is that the sequence clutch - gear lever - accelerator takes such a short time that it's impossible to establish the cause. However, I seem to recall that there's a small movement when you stall a car, and I don't remember that happening.

Is this common, and is there any cure? The car is still under warranty for another 6 months, but I'm more inclined to just switch the system off. (Press the button by the handbrake till it shows an orange light? I find the handbook confusing on this).

March 2, 2015

Possibly a Battery issue? How is it starting up in the morning? I've got the same version on an 11 plate and stall it quite often just because the Stop/start kicks in immediately when stopping. Ideally I think they should have given a few seconds buffer. Dash lights don't go out though.

Regarding the switch, when the button is pressed and the light is on, the S/S system is turned off.

March 2, 2015

The system is the same as the Auris. You can disable the stop/start system by using the switch, but it will revert to being enabled the next time the ignition is turned on.

I'd be inclined to pop the car into a dealer for checking whilst still within the warranty.

March 3, 2015

Thanks for the replies. Knowing that the system is off when the light is on helps me make sense of the handbook. Unfortunately, using the terms "Eco On" and "Eco Off" in two opposite contexts doesn't help comprehension.

The battery's about two years old, though strangely enough I took it back to the dealer last month because I was getting green corrosion on a terminal. They've smeared the terminals with a thick grease.

I'll leave it off for now, and drop in the local dealer. It's not the place I bought it from, but I believe I can use any dealer for warranty work.

March 23, 2015

Has your issue with the Stop/Start system been looked at and diagnosed?

On mine (2010 TR), if you stall it, you get all the warning lights on for check engine etc. I have never experienced the display to go black or anything, nor have I experienced issues with this system.

I could only think 'battery' but if there were issues with Battery voltage, the Stop/Start system would not kick in and stop the engine. Could be a loose terminal or something.

March 25, 2015

Hi Adam

The dealer I use is about 20 miles away, so I thought I'd leave it until I need to take it in for something else. If it happens again, I'll switch stop/start off every time I start the car.

The point about the battery's interesting, because I had the car in a couple of months ago for some minor things. One of them was green corrosion on a Battery terminal. The garage cleaned it off, so maybe they left the terminal slightly loose. (Incidentally, for that, checking my brakes and cleaning a little rust off the brake disk surface, they didn't charge me a penny.)