toy camry 97, no start when it got cold...

[MpSmith]

Hello everyone

I noticed that it didn't start after standing outside in a cold for a couple of days. It cranks fine and the battery was fine but I drained it and now experimenting off of a jump with no luck. RPM seem to go pretty high to around 500.

I was wandering if anybody is aware of common no-start problems with camrys, related to cold weather.

I thank you in advance for any input.

[Mike Gerber]

Start with the basics. You need to check for fuel and for spark. If you don't know how to do this, I would download the generation 4 Toyota factory service manual stickied at the top of this forum, and refer to it for a couple of simple tests.

Mike

[RIP]

If you are saying it got cold and has never started since even after warming up, I'm wondering if your timing belt has broken. Higher RPMs while cranking are a sign. With the belt broken the upper half of the valve train isn't spinning, killing compression. If the engine doesn't have to fight the resistance compression produces, it will spin faster when cranking. If you have a distributor remove the distributor cap and watch the rotor while cranking. If it doesn't move the belt is broken. No distributor? Do a compression check. No compression = broken belt.

If the belt has broken the good news is you have a non interference engine. Your valve train should be in good shape. The bad news is it will cost around $300 to have it replaced.

[Mike Gerber]

Your 97 does not have a distributor, so to add to what RIP has suggested on checking for a broken timing belt, you can remove the oil filler cap and look down at the one camshaft that is visible, while someone is cranking the engine. If the timing belt is broken, that camshaft will not rotate. If it rotates, the timing belt is still good.

Mike

[MpSmith]

the belt is still good, i just got a chance to check the compression. It was fluctuating up to 120psi. Fuel seems to be good as there was gas in the combustion chamber when I pulled out plugs. I am going to try to fully charge the battery and see, maybe that was my problem to begin with.
Thank you for the help guys.

ps @ Mike

model of my engine has some kind of guard, that does not permit you to look inside. Instead there is a little whole on a side of the filler whole itself. I guess its a guard against dropping anything big inside there...