'92 Camry and Mystery Wire

I have a '92 Camry LE with a little over 100K miles on it. It won't start. I assumed it was the battery because a) I know little about cars, b) I got only some clicks when attempting to jump start, and c) where I live (Phoenix) batteries don't last too long, and this one was probably around three years old (Interstate).

I removed the old battery. As I was installing the new battery, I spotted a loose wire sticking up, to the left of the battery area. The wire is thick, silver and appears to come from the same group of wires that connect to the positive battery terminal.

Even though I am not a mechanic, I have a gut feeling that this wire should probably be connected at both ends. Anyone have any ideas what this wire is for and where it goes?

Mike

Reply to
Mike
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Be careful here. Does the wire have a lug on the end which will fit over the positive battery post -clamp -bolt? If not, dont connect it to either post (+ve or -ve) as further research is needed.

Some owners connect after-market alarms, other acessories etc directly to the battery, and worse without a fuse. See what doesn't work on the car, or trace the wire back assuming it is out of the loom. If it is an original loom wire, you will in all liklehood find out what is not working when you start the car. If every thing is working, insulate its end with electrical tape and stick it out of the way.

In these situations, care is essential if you want to avoid fires or expensive burnt-out wiring.

Jason

Reply to
Jason James

The wire DOES NOT have a lug on it - I have connected the positive and negative wires, the extra wire has no connector - just some length of bare, aluminum wire.

I brought this up to a car-savvy co-worker, and he said it's for after-market devices too. I put a wire nut on the end to protect it. As my car refuses to start, I can't tell what else may be wrong. I replaced the battery, but still nothing.

Thanks for your help.

Mike

Reply to
Mike

If the car wont start, you need to establish that fuel and ignition are at least present. Alas with injected cars this is not as easy as with carbys. Have you bought a manual for the car? This will guide you through the steps of diagnosing whats wrong (as well as reading the stored computer fault-codes).

Notwithstanding the manual, you can ascertain spark is present by hooking up a timing light (

Reply to
Jason James

Read following document on Toyota Starting Problems, it could be of help:

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Check Air Flow System & Sensors: A fuel pump switch is incorporated into the air flow meter to prevent the fuel pump from running unless the engine is running.

Some vehicles also have an inertia crash switch hidden somewhere in the bodywork (look in the trunk, under the back seat or inside the rear seat side panels) to cut off fuel in case of an accident. An inertia switch can be reset by pressing its reset button.

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Hope this would help.

steps

up

Reply to
IceMan

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