[TonyD]

Hi All,
This is my first ever Toyota and my first post here. I received a 1992 Camry 4 cyl yesterday. The motor was filthy so I degreased it. I should have taken the proper precautions but I didnt. Anyway, after rinsing the motor off, I started it up. It ran for maybe 10 seconds and then quit. I tried to restart and it wouldnt turn over. I let it dry all night and tried it this morning. Still nothing! Would somebody please point me in the right direction?

Thanks,
Tony

 

[userlain]

keep trying every 10 minutes. i did the same thing to my 91 cam and its fine now.

does the starter motor spin?

 

[zoni]

hey tony, im from CT too. where are you from? i live in southington.

what are the symptoms? i mean, obviously it wont start, but does the started crank? the accessories work? any noise from the motor while turning the key? anything?

i would think you should be fine. i'd try messing around with the battery connections, maybe something is loose.

 

[jwa276]

you might have gotten water inside the distributor cap.. try taking it off and clean any water out. you might need a new distributor rotor if that is the case.. which they are like 5 bucks from autozone

good luck, and keep us updated!

jon

 

[TonyD]

Thanks for the replies. When i first tried starting it, it started right up. It is not getting spark. I have since taken the dist cap off and looked at it. It looks ok? dry anyways. I took the wires out and saw water and oil inside. I took the plugs out and they are a mess. I will change the plugs, wires, cap and rotor. and see what happens. Maybe the ignition coil? Any ideas? thanks.

 

[TonyD]

update...
I replaced dist cap, rotor, wires, and plugs.. It still wont start.
These needed to be replaced so no big deal..Should I try changing the ignition coil? any ideas? thanks

 

[88 LE]

update...
I replaced dist cap, rotor, wires, and plugs.. It still wont start.
These needed to be replaced so no big deal..Should I try changing the ignition coil? any ideas? thanks

Have you checked for spark since you replaced these parts?


You can check the coil for resistance.

Primary resistance: 0.4 - 0.5 ohms

Secondary resistance: 10.2 - 14.3 K ohms (10,200 ohms - 14,300 ohms).

 

[Tommy]

WOW we're getting a lot of these posts/questions lately

maybe someone should add the how to un -f*ck up your car after getting water on everything write up to a sticky or something.

 

[TonyD]

yeah..that would help..I always cleaned a dirty motor with engine degreaser and never had a problem.. until now.

 

[zoni]

now that you got the electrical fixed, i would ask if you had gas in the tank... might be the simplist thing, but it could happen.

 

[TonyD]

there's gas. I smell gas too when I start it.

 

[Ikon]

we have seen a lot of these posts

i think those with older cars should take extra precaution..
after thinking about it high pressure spray down or even a direct shot from the hose..maybe water is getting in through worn gaskets?

i think theres just too many possibilities of getting the electricals wet..maybe we should all learn something and stay away from spray downs

besides our engines arent water proof..hence floods damage cars
granted we're not flooding our engines but why facilitate the possibility of ruining ur entire engine

 

[Nico]

Good thing to check (I have already had that problem before) : check spark plugs and see if they are not just "swimming" in one inch of water. BEFORE removing them just remove the water with pressurized air, don't let the water come into the engine by removing the spark plugs (could be very bad for the engine !)

 

[TonyD]

I changed the plugs, wires, cap and rotor because I just bought the car and they needed to be changed anyways.

 

[Nico]

Like 88LE said, it would be a good thing to check for a spark on spark plugs. That would actually be the best thing to do : just remove one spark after each other, leave it connected to its wire and have the other side touch the engine : crank the engine and check for a spark, do that for the other remaining cylinders. Also (I don't remember if you did that or not) check the EFI fuse (injection)

Good luck !

 

[Silver93]

Good words of wisdom from Stevethecleric. However the extent of the damage can never really be examined in a post.
A mechanic friend of mine once told me
" Ya know, you are pretty good at fixing computers and I'm reasonably good at fixing cars for the last 20 years, so if I can make a suggestion....Leave the car and engine ALONE"

 

[Silver93]

Tony D.
Did you mess with the Mass air flow sensor on the air intake at all? I did have a problem once with the car not starting after throttle body cleaning and the MAF managed to get damaged during the cleaning. Just a thought. Also pull all the plugs and crank the engine in short burst to see if any liquid is coming out of the cylinders. Have someone hold a cloth over the plug holes and check the cloth for any moisture while you crank. If water got in, it may still be there. Good luck.
PS: did you know that MAF can be repaired. Not recommended but a good short term fix.

 

[Nico]

Tony D.
Did you mess with the Mass air flow sensor on the air intake at all? I did have a problem once with the car not starting after throttle body cleaning and the MAF managed to get damaged during the cleaning. Just a thought. Also pull all the plugs and crank the engine in short burst to see if any liquid is coming out of the cylinders. Have someone hold a cloth over the plug holes and check the cloth for any moisture while you crank. If water got in, it may still be there. Good luck.
PS: did you know that MAF can be repaired. Not recommended but a good short term fix.

I don't think he has a MAF though... otherwise it would have been a good idea indeed

 

[Silver93]

Sorry 'bout that. Forgot it was a 4 cyl.
Maybe a good spray of "wire dry" on all electrical connectors may help. Check all the fuses and relays as well.

 

[TonyD]

Thanks Everyone! After all the rain cleared, my brother-inlaw came and replaced the coil. Its purring like a kitten now..