1996 camry won't start. Back seat is the issue.

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swampratt

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My friend called me and told me his boys car will not start I said I would come over there and look at it.
He said it has fuel and spark.
He tried starting fluid in the intake tube .. still did not want to start not even a little bit.
It has been down for a few weeks.
I get there and tell him to cycle the key but do not crank it ..I am trying to hear the fuel pump.
I never heard it ..must be really quiet or just not working.

I remove the back seat the part you sit on because the Toyota puts an access panel there to get to the fuel pump in the gas tank. I put the seat on the trunk lid.

I tell him to cycle the key and I still hear nothing.
He cycled it about 4 times then he cranked it over and the car started.
We let it run and revved it up.. his son drove it around yesterday and all is good.

So I did nothing but remove back seat and stick it on the trunk.
We told the boy he needs to use the back seat more as that is the issue.
He looked at us funny and said the back seat??? yea his dad said get your girlfriend in the back seat with you and etc etc.

That is the only explanation I have.
Or maybe something in the trunk latch as the added weight of the back seat on trunk lid fixed it.
You decide.
:)
 

dlbleak

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Wonder if the seat was putting pressure on the electrical connection? Maybe causing it to not make contact, just a thought.
 

NightShade

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Had a chevy celebrity once that had an issue where I was stuck down by a river and ended up walking ten miles to get home so I could buy a fuel pump. Listened for it to come on and nothing so replaced it thinking that was the issue since I had just drove there and it would crank over and sputter on starting fluid.

Replaced the fuel pump and still wouldn't start. Had the trunk open and saw a wire that was not grounded. The day before it had got knocked off the little stud it was plugged in on. Fuel pump started to work and drove home. It was a ground for something and why it would have ran all the way into the trunk and hook up near where the left rear tail light was I have no idea. After that I shortened it up and hard connected it elsewhere so it would not come unplugged again.
 

Jcann

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Had a similar problem with my sons Ford Escape. With repeated cycles of the fuel pump it would finally initiate and start. I'm not too familiar with the electronics of a fuel pump but there was basically a dead spot in it and it was here when the car wouldn't start. By cycling the ignition switch it would move from the dead spot and initiate the fuel pump. I removed the back seat cushion, the fuel pump access panel, a pack rat nest, then replaced the fuel pump. That was after I had replaced the crank and cam sensor.
 

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