ignition problems please help

[cam4me]

hi im been reading post for hours and have not found anyone with the same problem i have
i have a 93 camry 4 cyl auto. when i turn the key theres nothing, battary is good
no lights in dash ,no radio or anything door chimes and dome lights are working
any idea what might be wrong?

[Cyorke]

does the starter click or anything when you turn the key over. The most common problem with starters on Toyotas is the the starter contacts or brushes go bad and you will hear a click when you try to start teh car. Most people will jsut replace the starter at this point but you can replace the contacts for considerably less. The contacts will probably cost you less than 20 bucks plus labor to pull the starter and install the contacts. Where a starter is probably going to be pushing over 100 bucks.

[Camry92LE]

Originally Posted by Cyorke

does the starter click or anything when you turn the key over. The most common problem with starters on Toyotas is the the starter contacts or brushes go bad and you will hear a click when you try to start teh car. Most people will jsut replace the starter at this point but you can replace the contacts for considerably less. The contacts will probably cost you less than 20 bucks plus labor to pull the starter and install the contacts. Where a starter is probably going to be pushing over 100 bucks.

I'll Have to agree. Sounds like the Starter.

[Cyorke]

oh my bad I thought it said the lights and all were working. I missed that one word "no".

Ok then yeah You need to be looking at fuses. There are so many that it could be. You really need to check any that have something to do with the starting of the car. There should be a large fuse in teh under hood box for the alternator. that one can cause it not to start. anything that says start or ignition. I cant remember for sure but I thinkthere is also a fulsible link in teh positive battery cable at some point. I seem to rememebr having on eof those go out when I was a Toyota mechanic.

COuld possibly also be the ignition switch itself since you say the dome light nd door chime are working.

[swegyptian]

Try jump starting it too, or using a voltmeter on the battery when you try to start it.

[Dave's]

My wife's '92 once had everything working except the starter. I called AAA to take it home so I could change it. I had tried jumping it with my '93 and still nothing. But when he hooked up with his high power alt and battery array, varoommmm. New battery and never had another problem. Not saying that's it, just don't jump into anything before you're sure it's not something simple.

[Novice_cardude]

Also check the connections to the battery. I've seen some really wierd stuff form bad/dirty connections...

[Gary_602Z]

Originally Posted by Novice_cardude

Also check the connections to the battery. I've seen some really wierd stuff form bad/dirty connections...

First thing I would check and also the easiest! Plus it needs to be done anyway!

Gary

[CamryBoy92]

does cold weather have something to do with it....when its cold here and i have a sri it seems like if i try to just turn the key the car just clicks but if i turn it to the second spot where the rents are blowing and then wait ffor the radio to come on the car starts fine???idk maybe theirs somthing wrong with my car

[CamNDN]

One thing I would check is the positive cable from the battery to the starter itself. Grab the cable at the battery and follow it down to the starter, looking for places that the cable might have worn out and be touching metal.

Sometimes on an auto the harness that holds the battery cable away from the engine will break and the battery cable will touch the engine. This won't present a problem for a while, not until the heatshield/insulation on the cable gets worn out from touching the hot engine block.

Once this happens though the cable will get welded to a hot engine block. Everything is fine up until you go to start the car. Up until the key is turned over the accessories (headlights, radio, power windows/mirrors/locks) can still work properly. This is because the electrical circuit to the starter is not open yet. But when you turn the key to start the car the circuit is opened and it is at that point that the circuit shorts itself out and the car won't start and accessories go off. But when you stop trying to start the car and stop turning the key in the ignition the circuit is closes and the accessories will work again. So try to turn on the radio and then start it and see if it goes off when you turn the key but comes back on when you stop turning the key.

Look for the positive wire from the battery to be welded to the engine block. Pull it away from the engine block and put electrical tape on the wire along with a new heat shield. Also put wire back in a secure harness.

[eyeball96]

Originally Posted by Novice_cardude

Also check the connections to the battery. I've seen some really wierd stuff form bad/dirty connections...

Same advice here, clean your battery terminals and make sure their tight! If your absolutely sure your battery is good!.....They sometimes sell bad ones!

[marc780]

I have to vote with Cyork on the ignition switch maybe being the problem, from your post heres what i see: No starter. No radio. (These go through the ignition switch). YES door chimes. YES dome light. (These Do NOT go through ignition switch!)
Try and jump your starter, use a remote starter switch if you can borrow one. If the starter will turn, this could help point to a worn ignition switch as being the problem. Try wiggling the key as you turn it and see if anything happens. Since its not just the starter not turning but whole bunch of things not working, maybe you should just change the switch or at least access the igntion and try shorting the contacts to see if you can make any of the dead stuff work, then you will know for sure.

[supersport]

blown fusible link