92 Not running - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

EricoftheNorth · 07-20-2009, 06:39 AM

Ok boys and girls....get you thinking caps on.
My 92 camry le (5s-fe) had been running *slightly* strange for months, just slightly low on power - sorta, as in barely perceptible.
Well then one day going from coasting to press on the gas I get no power. Just a kinda brooooww noise like the engine was being choked. I let off...it still idles, but press again and nothing, then it idles to a stop. It has not started since.

I have replaced the fuel pump and filter, tested relays, retimed the timing belt, checked compression and spark. The only outward appearance of failure is that when cranking, it is at the 10 mark on the crank shaft pully when I use a timing light. Which would lead to a really rough idle (i think), except that it doesn't even TRY to start AT ALL. I Pull a plug after another starter-destroying crank session and it is soaked in fuel. Could this be some sudden X-treme flooding issue? Cause it *should* run as far as I can tell. Or at least try. I need to disconnect the fuel pump and try just starting fluid at this point, I will try that but if anyone has any bright ideas let me know.

Oh, the spark is beautiful and the O2 sensor is fine. MAAAYBE the coil is no good but the sparks look vibrant and blue and we tested everything under the distributor cap.

I have typed "wont start, fuel, spark, compression" into google sans any car model and got several other 92-93 camrys on the first page so this must be an issue, but no one listed a solution. Well, at least one that wasn't timing.

Thanks in advance.

***96paseo*** · 07-20-2009, 11:53 AM

10 degrees BTDC is the correct timing for the 5S-FE. But only when you have the engine running and the jumper in the diagnosis box. I wouldn't rely on it at cranking rpms. Test your crank position sensor. CEL on?

EricoftheNorth · 07-20-2009, 02:49 PM

No CEL at all. That's my favorite part.

And as far as not relying on the timing light at crank its what I have to rely on because it wont run and we've completely removed the timing belt and screwed up the timing trying to decipher which marks are correct. I think we got it pegged though, cause the first re-time led to no compression.

My compression now hits about 140 at crank (168k miles on the engine). Can't really tell if thats good enough, but it's in the green on my compression tester.

The only things I can think are Fuel pressure regulator, or the Engine temp sensor. But thats based on the assumption of flooding. I reached that after pulling out a wet plug. But we had been cranking for a long time so it's tough to know if it should *never* get wet or would eventually if it just never fired.

Would't the CPS lead to an erratic spark?

EricoftheNorth · 07-20-2009, 05:37 PM

So after leaving it overnight, I disconnected the fuel pump and it started right up. EXTREMELY rich black smoke out the tailpipe. I am thinking engine temurature sensor seeing as it has been leaking fluid and been gettinghot/cold randomly it probably got pissed and gave up. J/k. Will test that and.