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Starting Issues - '96 Camry Wagon
This has been somewhat of an ongoing issue with my 4 cylinder '96 Camry Wagon. I'll lay out everything I know and hopefully some one can pull all the pieces together and help me figure out this problem. I recognize I wrote quite a bit but I want to provide the full picture to anyone who is kind enough to read this:
For the past few years the starts have gotten sluggish in the cold weather (I live in Rochester, NY), although no clear pattern emerged and it always started so I dealt with it. This summer starting became a bigger issue. I would start the engine, RPMs would rev up to 1,000 and then quickly drop below 250 and the car would stall. I figured out that I could just give it gas when the RPMs began to drop, and if I revved above 2,000RPMs for a few seconds the car would idle fine back at around 1,000 when I stopped gassing.
I did some research and saw a video that recommended spraying carburetor spray into the idle control valve, and that actually helped tremendously and the car would start well and immediately reach and maintain 1,200RPMs. The effects of the cleaning wore off a bit over the following weeks, but starts were better overall.
That situation lasted until a few days ago. The weather was in the 50s and dry. I drove the Camry around on a series of short trips, and on that first trip I noticed that upon starting, there was a high pitched humming/whirring noise that I hadn't heard before. It wasn't that loud but it was certainly audible, and I only heard it while idling and while accelerating at low speeds (1st and 2nd gear I'd say). I also smelled a faint electric odor. After parking the Camry for the 4th time that day I went to start it, and all I got was the rapid clicking of the solenoid, but the engine would not turn over. I could still play the radio and the lights still worked.
Before I proceed I'd like to state that I'm 22 and I have limited car knowledge. This will explain my handling of this situation.
I thought that the starter had gone bad, and I didn't bother to check my battery voltage because I figured it was okay if my lights worked. At that point I didn't know that the battery can be strong enough to power the radio and lights but not the starter. So, the next day I replaced the starter motor, put everything back together, and tried to start it...and I heard the same exact rapid clicking. After more research I decided to check the battery, and sure enough - 11.9volts. The next day I replaced the battery and put my old starter back in. It started fine, but it seems that there are still unresolved issues.
The starts just don't sound healthy now, and that's the beast way I can describe it. More concerning is that high pitched humming noise that remains during idling and low speeds. In addition, the electric smell has become more of a presence, although I only smell it while idling. Today, after a short drive, I let the car sit for an hour and got a 12.6volt reading from the new battery. I took that reading because I was wondering if the alternator could be going. That reading suggests not, although I have yet to take a cold reading on the battery.
My question is: What on earth is happening to my beloved vehicle?!?! If anyone can take this information and make sense out of it I would be eternally grateful.
Thank you for your time!
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95 Camry
AUTO to MANUAL Swap Guide (3rd Gen) - 
Linear Mode
