91 Camry problem in the rain

[Graham2]

I just bought a 91 Camry with 308, 000 km (191, 000 miles *i think*). It was running fine, thought I got a good deal for $890 Canadian. However, I took it out in a big rain storm the other day and it stalled a couple intersections away from my place. Tried to start it, but it wouldn't (turned over, but didn't start). Came back in about 20min after the rain stopped and it was fine. I have read that this is probably an electrical problem (maybe the distributor, ignitor coil, spark plugs...). What should I ask the mechanics to check out? How much is a distributor/ignitor repair going to cost me? Is it worth it?

To be honest, at the very least I only REALLY need to get across the province over the course of about 3 days (about a 7 hour drive, with a two day stop in the middle). Are there any tricks to just get me that far if it happens to be raining? I don't imagine it's going to survive a Quebec winter anyway.

Any advice would be appreciated! Thanks guys!

Graham

[Joe W]

You could probably get away with replacing the dist.cap and wires.

[Mike Gerber]

If the distributor cap, rotor and wires don't cure the problem, then it is most likely a defective coil. They develope hairline cracks in them over time and short to ground inside the distributor when it is damp out. This is pretty common for this generation Camry. The coil is located inside the distributor. You can get an aftermarket one for around $45 US and replace it yourself if you have a manual to refer to. This is usually done by removing the distributor from the car and removing a cover over the coil and then the coil itself. If you are not comfortable doing that kind of work yourself I would get someone to help you or take the car in to a professional. A pro should be able to do this job in less than an hour. I would not take it to a dealer as they usually want to replace the whole distributor at a price of around $500 US.

A temporary fix that I have seen used is to take some silicone and apply it all around where the distributor cap meets the distributor. Use it to make a complete watertight seal between the cap and the distributor.

Mike

[Graham2]

Thanks guys, sounds like my mechanic friend and I are putting in a new coil and distributor cap/rotor. Hope that does the job!