92 Camry, V4, won't start in cold

i wish to make clear that i have very little knowledge of things mechanical, and so i will present as much info as i can. i'm not sure how much of it is relevant to my problem.


my 1992 camry was bumped from the front about 6 months ago- the hood is bent up a bit, but it has been fine running since then.

for the past two weeks, every morning i have needed to hold the key in the starting position for about 30 seconds and pump the gas for it to start. this is only necessary in the mornings, after being outside in the bitter chicago cold all night. once it starts in the morning, it give me no trouble starting up for the rest of the day.

i didn't drive the car at all yesterday, and this morning it wouldn't start despite my efforts. i opened the hood and noticed that the coolant level was low. (the coolant has now been filled- still doesnt' start).

i have also found that one spark plug is missing a rubber washer that is present on the 3 others.


i'm low on funds, so any advice on where to start will be greatly appreciated.



-aamir :banghead:

Always do the simple stuff first, or have it done:

Change spark plugs
Change rotor cap, distributor cap
Clean EGR valve
Clean throttle body
Use fuel injector cleaner every 3rd tank