Every time it rains

Hi -

Every time it rains my 93 Camry won't start. I turn the key and the engine sounds like it will start but it never does. The battery is fine. Everything seems fine except the not starting part.

Thanks Chet.

Probably an ignition problem. Replace the distributor cap and rotor. Check the rest of the system. If you can't find the problem, replace the ignitor.

I had this happen for many years with my 87 Camry and every professional in the bay area looked at it. Turned out to be the distributor cap, even though it tested perfectly prior to replacing it

This happens on a regular basis with my daughters '90 Camry. And yes it is the distributor cap. But I found there was something I could do to extend the life of the cap. Those little posts the rotor passes to send the spark to each plug get a buildup of crust on them. My theory is if it builds up too much it gets in the way of a good strong spark. And when it rains this crust must absorb moisture and make things worse. So when the symptoms appear I remove the cap, scrape off the crust, blow the crap out of the crap and she's off to good starts for a good 3 to 4 months. After about the 4th scraping it's time for a new cap because by then much of the posts are burned away.

I also get this problem with my 89 camry although i replaced the cap and I still get the problem. It happens to me more when its hot than cold and rainy though. I get a click of the starter but no crank. flick the ignition off and on a few times till it cranks and all is good. I have a feeling this is the magnetic switch in the starter but i really dont know for sure.

thehittmann,

Your problem is most likely worn starter contacts. Do a search on this forum for "starter contacts". There is a relatively cheap DIY replacement article somewhere on this forum for this ailment.

Mike