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Have replaced fuel pump and battery.  It has spark and compression test revealed low but steady compression.  Fuel makes it to fuel filter and can hear injectors clicking.  Engine is in time and fuses are good.  Engine ran well but just wouldn't start one day.  Got it started twice since have been having problems and the first time it ran fine.  The second time it would die when I gave it gas but would run fine once it got going a bit.  Out of ideas- please help. Thank you.  

do you know how to access the trouble codes by using a paper clip in the test connection under the hood and counting the flashes of the check engine or power loss light on the dash..????   just turn the key on .. don't start the engine..



post the codes. you count out..




there are more things to do.. but start with this ..  

a few questions..

do you have a timing light????   yes/no

do you have a digital volt meter  ???   yes /no

do you have a test light???    yes/no

does this car have an after market alarm..   even if it was removed???  if there was one installed .. the cuts to the wires are still there.. sometimes only twisted together.. sometimes poorly crimped...

i will be in and out today..  post what you know..  

I don't know what  a timing light is but my dad probably has one.  I have a volt meter and test light and I am fairly certain it never had an alarm.  I will try the problem code trick as soon as I can.  

by the way.. which motor do you have???

1990 Toyota Camry:

Available engines
4 Cylinders S 2.0L FI
6 Cylinders V 2.5L FI DOHC


 

ONLY after you have accessed the trouble codes.... and written them down....

lets look at the battery connections..   are they dirty??? corroded???  i seem to recall that there are several connections on the positive terminal...

i seem to recall that your positive cable end looks like this..



when you take the cables off...  you will want to remove the nut and wire brush the whole thing... corrosion can hide..




Next take a digital volt meter...

set it to 20 volts DC scale...

start the engine and turn on the headlights..

1. test between the positive and the negative battery posts.  14.1 to 14.8 volts is expected.

2. test between the negative battery post and the engine block. 0.04 volts is expected..

3. test between the negative battery post and the body... 0.02 volts is expected..

4. test between the Engine block and the body..  0.02 volts is expected.

if you get 0.00 on the last 3 tests.. change the meter setting to 2 volts DC scale.. and retest.. the last 3...

this test takes about 2 minutes...

post your results by test number..

if you get more than the 0.04 or 0.02 volts on the display...

you have a bad ground between those parts..



why do this test....   bad grounds will stop any new car in its tracks...

why... electrons flow from Negative to positive...  if you loose a ground.. or it becomes intermittent..  you won't have any power for that circuit...  just like a table light when the plug falls part way out of the wall...  the light will go out..

also i have fixed a LOT of cars lately with that  2 minute test... some hot water and a stainless steel wire toothbrush ...

finding the ground connections.. removing them from where they are bolted down after counting how many wires are on each one..   wire brushing both sides of the ring terminals...   wire brushing the back side of the nut.. wire brushing the mounting pad...  washing with HOT water..  

putting them back on.. and counting to verify the number of wires is the same...

the verifying with the same test again...


If you cannot get the engine started.. do the tests with the key on and the headlights on...  

Sorry, I forgot to say it's a 4 cylinder.  Will I be able to get the problem codes if my check engine light never came on?  It comes on for a second when I turn the key and all the dash lights go on, but I think they all shut off after a few seconds.  By the way, thank you very much for all the effort you're putting into helping me.  Also: could the battery connections really be the problem if it was stalling when I tried to give it gas and not just refusing to start?  

absolutely..

dirty battery cables...   dirty ground connections....

just because its hooked up.. does not mean that there is not any corrosion in there..



think of it this way...      if your desktop computer cord was not fully inserted in the wall.. would it work???

there are multiple devices.. that are connected to different circuits...

and then they are grounded sometimes to different locations...   any of them could be a problem...

for mechanics who want to fix things first..  they normally run the voltage drop test above..  its a test to let you know if at least the basic items are properly connected..

click the active posts link...  look for one called cooling fans ...   read the last entry.. bad ground..

why not start there..    if you don't have codes...  bad grounds usually won't set a code..  bad positive connections won't set a code..

i like to check for codes first..  if i find any.. then i can start there...     but. i still run the voltage drop test..  as a starting point.
then depending on what i find i start cleaning cables..   disconnecting the battery will clear the codes on these.. as will dirty cables ..  as the dirty cable prevents the power from getting through.. the voltage drops and just like disconnecting . codes are erased....

if it fails any of the 4 tests i have outlined.. then anything else you do might be a waste of time...

print the voltage drop text in bold above..    run the test on a car that works...  

it still could be a clogged fuel filter...

do you know when the last time it was changed???/  

I don't know.  I've only had the car for about a year and a half so it could be a very long time.  

I believe it reads a code 14.  There is one flash, a one second pause and then 4 flashes in succession.

Yes, I have a timing light.  Also I have a question about the tests you suggested with the volt meter.  You said to start the car as the first step.  My car will not start.  Did you mean to say turn the key on?  

some of the ignitions system tests..


http://www.autozone.com:80/autozone/repairinfo/repairguide/repairGuideContent.jsp?pageId=0900c152801cc971




as for test 1, 2, 3, 4...

you can do test 2, 3 and 4 while cranking..    test 1 is only going to show state of charge of the battery..  12.4 to 12 6 volts..  

Those tests all start with the spark test and the spark test on my car is good.  

if you are still getting the code 14.... start there...

can you see if the spark is actually flashing when it should be sparking.. with a timing light looking at the crank damper marks..


i have a good question.. how much spark do you have???

i have had to replace a lot of coils lately do to the weak spark output...

my former boss spent hours on a minivan.. no start.. i told him the coil was weak.. he said it passed the flash tool test..

but it did not pass my spark gap tool test.. it could throw a 1/4 inch orange barely visible spark..

when it should throw more than 3/4"  bright blue snappy spark...   from the coil wire... since your coil might be in the cap... you will have trouble testing the direct coil output.. look for about 1/2 to 5/8" at the end of the spark plug wires...


what happens when you give it a shot of carb cleaner spray or brake cleaner spray into an open vacuum hose that leads into the intake.????