TrePound

started it up, got ready to pull off then it dies. didnt even make it 15ft. All it does now is turns over. Doesnt catch, doesnt sound like it wants or is trying to catch. i checked the timing belt, thats still good. next thing im goin to check is the starter, then im checkin the fuses.

I hate troubleshooting haha. im a good mechanic once i know what the problem is, but getting to the problem im no good at.

so i was wondering if anyone on here can give me a few things to check and to look at that i may be over looking.

also im going to see if my fuel pump primes, i guess that could be it as well to.. if you have any insight please share.

TrePound

fuel pump works. i dont think its getting spark. is it suppose to spark visually while its cranking? i dont think im seeing spark, and im pretty sure id know it if i saw it.

im ruling out the starter cause the car actually started and ran before it died, and i never had a problem with it not wanting to start before.

any suggestions

TrePound

just grabbed some starter fluid, and its still doin the same thing. so the problem isnt fuel related its spark/electrical related. i have new spark plugs and wires and new #2 coil pack. what are some ways to check for spark?

TrePound

hmmm i guess vadriven has lost all its tech people and is now home to shit talkers and dick riders. I saw that coming the last time i was on here a year and some change ago.

anywho

well after some more troubleshooting i figured out that its 9/10 the crank sensor. boy do i dread getting to that on this camry. hopefully its dirty and could just be cleaned, i do have a oil leak around that area. if not its only a 50 dollar fix. im gonna go rent a code scanner since i have a cel and hopefully thats what pops up. that would make life a lot easier.

erik02

If you pull the plug out and put it in the wire, holding the wire ( don't shock yourself...) against the manifold, something metal, etc to ground it, you will be able to see it spark. You can also use a timing light.

Fabrik8

So no check engines lights that come on when you turn the key, or that come on after you start to crank it?

There is a lot of troubleshooting that you can do yourself with a basic multimeter, like checking that there is battery voltage at the coil connectors, at the fuel injectors, things like that.

I can't speak for all cars, but many/most will throw a CEL for something like a cam or crank position sensor as soon as you start cranking and the ECU detects a position sensor problem. It can't really tell the sensor is bad until the sensor target starts rotating and the ECU doesn't see what it expects to see.

nftuatn

ok..its cranking just fine.."just turns over" why in the hell would it be the starter...and with that said..."im a good mechanic" really doesnt fit the scenario

Archer

lol exactly what i was thinking.

get a wiring diagram and a multimeter and test your ignition system.

TrePound

yea i tried that already. no spark at the plug nor at the coil pack. i believe the coil packs go str8 back to the ecu??. i dont think theres anything in between them two things i can check to see why no spark.

yes it has a cel as soon as it cranking. i rented a scanner and it read back cranksensor circuit A malfunction. but i just rememeberd that the crank sensor was replaced about a year/ year and a half ago. I guess it could be that again but not likely cause they rarely go bad right??
also you have a pm..
thanks for the helpful advice i appreciate it.. you to erik

^^^^
i dunno why im going to even adress yall. Im not good at electrical problems. to be honest im quite intimidated by wiring and electrical troubleshooting, to much stuff to trace it back to and i dont have the patience to go thru the different scenarios. Just about everything else im good at or have done. so yea i feel that im(not the best, not great, not awsome) just a pretty good mechanic.

but yes, next im going to test the ignition system so i can rule that out. thanks for the input.

BAD4DR

First - Do you have a tachometer on the cluster?
If so, is it reading RPM?

If it's reading RPM, it's more than likely going to be that the Camshaft Position Sensor is malfunctioning.
In MOST cars, the Crank sensor reads RPM, and the Cam Sensor controls firing of the fuel injectors and spark plugs.

If you're not comfy with electrical troubleshooting, I won't even suggest looking up a diagram, back-probing the sensor, and hooking up an oscilloscope to see if the signal is correct, or using a 2-channel, and verifying it's timing in relation to the crankshaft while turning it over by hand.

If you can get your hands on a good scan tool, it should show whether there is sync between the two. Probably, factory diagnostics for the code you have, would indicate that code could be set if the two are not in sync with one another. (This is the scenario where the crank sensor could cause it not to start, is when it will not sync!)

As every ECU I've seen reads RPM from the crank sensor, check the scan tool, the cluster, whatever you have to, and see if there is an RPM signal....