I have an intermittent problem with my 1992 Toyota Camry (4-cylinder engine). The problem always occurs when I try to start the engine while the engine is hot. Typically I drove the car for more than 20 minutes, stopped the engine, went into a store to buy something (taking about 10-15 minutes), and got back to the car. I was able to start the engine, but immediately it stalled. Then, I could no longer start the engine until I waited long enough (about 20 minutes or more) for the engine to cool down. The Check Engine light was never lit, and I have no engine problems at all while I am driving. The problem only occurs when I try to start a hot engine. I have had this problem since 1.5 years ago, and have replaced fuel pump, thermostat, and spark plugs, but the problem persists. It occurred more often in the summer, but also occurred recently. Sometimes in order to cool the engine faster, I sprayed water mist onto the engine. Is it O.K. to do so? I also tried different brands of gasoline, but it did not help. A Toyota dealer Service Adviser suggested 3 possible causes: 1) thermal valve malfunction, 2) idle speed control (ISC) having some rubber part becoming sticky, and 3) ignition coil broken. Where is the thermal valve, and how can I check it? By the way, I have a Repair Manual published by Toyota. Does anybody have any suggestions? The dealer told me checking each possible cause would cost me several hundred dollars and there would be no guarantee that replacing the part(s) would solve the problem.
- posted
18 years ago