brake system issue or engine start system issue?

[lmei007]

I have a 1996 Toyota Camry. Recently its behaviours are very strange. First, we found its brake pedal is harder. We can depress it before we start the car before, now we cannot depress it and just like there is no spring any more. If the brake pedal like that, we cannot start our car. Then we need to try, try agian and depress the accelerator pedal several times. If lucky we can start it. The battery is good. We can only hear click sound. There is no belt/engine noise.

After started, everything became normal, the brake is soft and works well.

I don't know it is a brake system issue or it is an engine start issue which affected the brake system to make it behaves badly.

please help. I may change the spark plugs Monday to see if it will help.

thanks

[maxwedge]

A hard brake pedal engine not running is normal, have the starter solenoid ( common issue) and cables checked.

[Mike Gerber]

Originally Posted by maxwedge

A hard brake pedal engine not running is normal, have the starter solenoid ( common issue) and cables checked.

I have to agree on both counts. The hard brake pedal with the engine not running is normal. Your power brake booster works off of vacuum supplied by the engine. When the engine is not running there is no vacuum being created. With the engine off, all it takes is 1 or possibly 2 depressions of the brake pedal to use up the vacuum stored in the power brake booster. Then the pedal becomes hard.

As far as the starting problem, I have to agree again. If you are hearing 1 click, you have the very common "starter solenoid contact problem". The contacts inside the starter's solenoid wear and no longer allow current to pass throught them to the starter. This results in a no crank situation. Do a search on this forum for "starter contacts". It has been covered numerous times. You can varify this the next time it happens. Have someone hold the key in the start position while you get out and give the starter a tap with a hammer or good size wrench. If the starter now cranks the engine, you have varified the starter solenoid contact problem. You will need to replace the starter's solenoid contacts or replace the entire starter with a new or rebuilt unit. One other option is to remove your starter from the vehicle and take it in to an auto electrical rebuilder in your area to have your original starter rebuilt. This is an option I prefer if you have the original OEM Toyota starter. However, these rebuilders are becoming harder to find all the time.

If you are hearing multiple rapid clicks then you have a battery problem, an alternator problem where the alternator is not charging the battery, a loose alternator belt again resulting in the alternator not charging the battery, or a problem with poor/corroded connections at the battery posts/terminals or at the starter itself.

Mike