My kid's 96 4-cylinder Camry turns over, but won't start. Ran fine this morning. Before we haul the thing to the shop, are there a few simple things that can be checked, so maybe he can save a little money and learn something at the same time? He bought it used from someone who provided all service records, and it seems they did all the right stuff on or ahead of schedule.
EFI relay ?
Had a similar no-start on my wife's 95 Camry LE 4 auto, and replacing the relay fixed it.
When I had my Camry.. i took it to a Japanese autoshop... cost me a 5th less to get it fixed than other places..
Is the check engine light illuminated? Check the fuel pump fuse (location usually marked or mentioned in owners manual), check for spark, check for fuel (perhaps the gauge is inaccurate), make sure the air flow from the filter is unobstructed. Those are some basic checks to perform.
Cranks but won't start, eh?
How many miles? Original timing belt? If it's over 90,000 miles, or 90,000 since the last belt, you could have a broken timing belt.
Now, I bet the 94 doesn't have a distributor, right? All electronic, with coil packs?
If it has a distributor, remove the cap, crank the engine and watch the rotor. If the timing belt is broken, the rotor won't turn.
If it is all electronic, it gets a little more involved. You should be able to remove the upper timing belt cover with a 10mm wrench. Watch your knuckles...it's a tight squeeze. Get enough of the cover off so you can see the belt and either have someone crank the car while you watch, or vice versa. If the belt don't move, then some teeth have sheared off. I think '94 was a Twin Cam, so there shouldn't be any interference damage.
What's the best way to check for spark?
Timing belt was replaced back in January. The car's got about 85,000 miles.
See above. It's a 96, not a 94.
Remove one spark plug and reconnect it to the plug wire, then ground the plug with the wire attached against metal (usually the engine block or cylinder head) while you briefly crank the engine. You should see a spark being generated at the electrode of the plug.
Hmmm...who did it? If it's not set on correctly it can 'walk' off of the cams and cause this problem (Not likely with a Camry, however). Of, if the tensioner slipped, it can throw the timing off. But now I think you have another problem.
Aw, I don't wear my glasses as often as I should! ;)
It was done by quite a remarkable mechanic. While anything is possible, I doubt it was the workmanship.
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