Just got the oil changed last Friday on my 92 camry, and went down to Houston to visit family over the weekend. Ran great! Tuesday I filled the tank with gas before coming home, but Wednesday morning, it shut itself off while I was letting the engine warm up (19 degrees that morning). The rear defroster cleared the ice off the rear window, but before I could turn on the front defroster to thaw out my windshield, the car quit running. Lights and stereo were still on, but the engine had quit. I turned the lights off, popped the hood to make sure the outside cat hadn't tried to seek warmth in the engine bay, and all was well there. Tried starting the car again, and it cranked, but never actually started. Didn't sound like it was struggling or anything.....sounded like it always does right before it starts....only, it never did start. So, hubby and I are carpooling until he gets a chance to look at it on Saturday. He's a muscle car and 4x4 kind of guy though, so my little camry is going to be a new experience for him in troubleshooting....any ideas where to get started (we have a Haynes manual, but that's it)?
Thanks

Use your Haynes manual to troubleshoot because you have not provided enough information. You need more investigating first.

Use your Haynes manual to troubleshoot because you have not provided enough information. You need more investigating first. Should the fuel pump be working when the ignition is on?

The fuel pump will come on when you initially turn on the ignition, but only for a few seconds to build up pressure. If the engine doesn't start, the fuel pump won't continue to run. It will begin to run continuously when the engine does start up.

Are you getting spark? That's easier to check.

A wild guess is that you burn out your Ignition Control Unit. When it goes, it won't run anymore, just like a bad lightbulb. Did you try to get a spark from the spark plug wire to the engine block? If you can't get a spark, I'll give you 10 to 1 odds it's the ICU.

The reason I asked about if you're getting spark, is because your discription sounded like a broken timing belt. They'll brake any time they're old enough, even at idle. On a 92 Camry, the belt should be replaced around every 60,000 miles. How many miles on your Camry, or, when was the timing belt belt last changed? The distributor is run off the valve cam, so it's easy to check to see if you're getting spark. If you've got spark, the timing belt is OK. If no spark, remove the distributor cap and see if the rotor turns as you crank the engine. If it doesn't turn, it's probably a broket timing belt.

It's not the timing belt... If it was the timing belt it would not turn over normally. Check for spark.

Thanks, no spark. I replaced the rotor and cap, still no spark. Also, I replaced the fuel filter and main fuel relay, now there is a groaning noise after not sarting, not during cranking. I'll look in Haynes on how to test the ICU. Thanks again, should be a world of help. Timing belt was just replaced about 20,000 ago. Current milage is 180,000. Was still purring like a kitten.

Thanks, no spark. I replaced the rotor and cap, still no spark. Also, I replaced the fuel filter and main fuel relay, now there is a groaning noise after not sarting, not during cranking. I'll look in Haynes on how to test the ICU. Thanks again, should be a world of help. Timing belt was just replaced about 20,000 ago. Current milage is 180,000. Was still purring like a kitten.


check the fuse box (ignition system)

Yeah, checked all that out. Does anyone know what the ICU looks like, and where it is located. The Haynes manual isnt very clear on this issue and I think referrs to it as the igniter. This is an expensive part and I would like to get it from a salvage yard to save some money. I have found one locally but want to make sure its the right part. Any help on this will be much appreciated.

Sounds Like The Same Thing Happend To Me Didnt Think About Checking The Belt Gonna Do That Right Now

Well,
Made some calls and found an ICU for $50 at a local salvage yard and bought it. Replaced the old one with the one I just bought, and still nothing. Decided to go ahead and change out the spark plugs, since I bought a new rotor and cap and already installed those. Unfortunately, one of the spark plugs broke while I was trying to take it out, so now I have to remove the head to get the bloody thing out! If it's not one thing, it's another, I swear.....I'll test the coil after I get the spark plugs all replaced...IF I can get the one that broke out first, that is. I'm about to the point of just towing the car to a local shop and having them diagnose it....I've never had this much go wrong in troubleshooting a car, and it's pretty discouraging.....give me something older that has a carb and I can fix it....these newer engines apparently aren't my bag...

Wow, sorry to hear the ICU didn't work. I was sure that was the problem. I would have to say either your coil is bad, or the distributor is bad, but I would just be guessing at this point. Don't you hate breaking off spark plugs? I did that in the middle of the river on my boat one time... what a disaster that was. How come you can't get the plug out? Can't you get the socket in there and bite on something?
Are you sure you replaced the ICU and not something else. I know... the book is not very good at explaining where this is or what it looks like. It's actually a one ince square black chip mounted on a stupidly big metal bracket which in turn is bolted to the back side of the head (I think). It has a wiring harness plugged into it that is bigger than the chip itself. It all sits close to the distributor. Is that the "ICU" you replaced?

Whoops, I'm wrong, I'm telling you to find the ICU on my Mitsubishi. Sorry.

Whoops, I'm wrong, I'm telling you to find the ICU on my Mitsubishi. Sorry.
HI I HAVE A 92 CAMRY AND MY CAR DID THE SAME THING BUT ON MY CAR THE distributor IT SELF WENT I PAY ABOUT 160.00 FOR THE distributor THIS PART IS NOT THE CAP

OK, here is a picture of YOUR ICU (92 Camry with 2.2 4 cyl motor.)

http://www.partsamerica.com/PartDetails.asp?SourceArea=&SourcePage=SEARCHRESULTS&MfrCode=GPS&MfrPartNumber=115181&PartType=194&PTSet=C

It looks like it is also a little chip about 1 inch square, and the wiring harness is almost bigger than the chip. I couldn't tell you where it is, my car is a 1988

Hold on to the old ICU, it's worth it's weight in gold if it's still good.

Yep,
That's it. Found one from out of a '93 Camry and swapped out the one in my '92 with the one from the '93, and nothing....no change. Well, except the groaning noise that was coming from the rear of the car isn't there any more. Had to get an extension to pull the plugs with and couldn't get a good grip on one at first. When I finally did, it felt like it'd been pulled down and it was really tough to turn with the socket. Finally gave on me, and it felt too easy, so I looked down there with a flashlight and could see it'd cracked into pieces. Great....

Yea, sounds like you broke the porcelain on your spark plug, and not the actual plug bottom. There was a rubber doo-hickey around the bottom of the spark plug wire which seals around the porcelain. Find something like needle nose pliers to reach down in there and clean out the broken pieces of porcelain and the rubber washer thing. The threads and the metal part of the plug should still be there, and you should still get your socket on it and turn it. I find it hard to believe you broke the metal bottom of a spark plug. Maybe you rounded it off, but this is also unlikely. You never got you spark plug wrench all the way to the bottom is my guess.

I have a 92 Camry(261,745miles). Twom months ago I put in a new battery. Last month I put new tires. The car is now @ the mekaniks. They say I need a Timing belt and water pump. Hes telling me its about 4hrs. labor. Hecharges $75.00 per hr. So He says Im looking @ $500. some odd dollars. Am I getting killed ?? Hes lucky I cant afford a new car !!