1992 Camry Electrical Issue

alldodge

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Probably should sell the car for junk, but hate giving up on something. Try to keep story short

Bought car from a friend for $800 for my grandson (GS), and found the battery was dead after sitting for a few days. I put a new battery in and find that the ALT will charge and then stop, with no pattern. Take ALT to the ALT shop and they make it a one wire and say don't plug the other connector in. I use a strong tie wrap and fasten the other ALT connector to another cable.

Give car to GS (still learning to drive) and told him about the cable for the ALT that is tie wrapped.

Couple weeks later, battery is going dead, car won't start, so they jump it. Other things happen and his cousin says lets connect the cable, that will fix it. Car start blowing every bulb in the car (head, tail and other lights). Is boiling the new battery enough to where it is swelling. Tell him tow it home and I'll look at it. He tries to drive it home and it stops, will not restart.

So new battery, new ALT that is original and not a one wire. Car won't start, so I pick it up and tow back to me. Wiper motor turns on with the key on, so pull the fuse. It keeps blowing the EFI fuse (7,5 amp) and I have hot wired the EFI relay contacts, but still will not start. Shot of either was no help. So its not getting spark. Also replaced the computer.

What I need is an electrical wiring diagram, or someone with some info on how to check, thinking of buying manual from ebay. No telling what is fried in the car, and is probably not worth it. Have 1200 in the car now, and can maybe get 300 at the junk yard.

Oh, and I bought the GS another car for 3800 and its doing fine, and so far no issues. 2004 Honda Civic
 

fishrdan

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Craigslist: 1992 Camry, great condition, minor electrical issue, new alternator and battery... (LOL)

Seriously, I wouldn't sell that car to anyone since it had that type of issue. Agree with Bruce, alternator went haywire and cooked who knows what in the car, could be chasing gremlins forever.

The alt shop should have removed the connector or pulled the pins from the connector after their 1-wire conversion, but too late now. If you have a pick-a-part junk yard, you could go over there and see if you can gather up all the electrical/electronic items needed for the car. If the car has air bags, that system has been compromised. The ECU may need to be programmed to the car, (maybe not) more $$$.

For a $800 car, I'd cut my losses. Unless I had time to burn and wanted a project.

Oh yes, congrats on giving your GS a car, I bet he's loving it! That Civic is going to be a good car, I had a 92 that I put over 300K on.
 

gm280

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WOW, sounds like maybe you need to go to a salvage yard and remove anything and everything you can get for the electricals on yours. There is no telling what all is fried and burnt. Once you get the factory shop manual, and figure out how they actually wrote the darn thing, then maybe you can take sections apart and check them individually. Other then that, I have no good ideas. :sorry:
 

alldodge

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WOW, sounds like maybe you need to go to a salvage yard and remove anything and everything you can get for the electricals on yours. There is no telling what all is fried and burnt. Once you get the factory shop manual, and figure out how they actually wrote the darn thing, then maybe you can take sections apart and check them individually. Other then that, I have no good ideas. :sorry:

If I had a schematic I might be able to figure it out, but just don't know if its really worth it, as before just don't like giving up on something
 

dolluper

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Diffently a bad ground or two notrisous for those problems ...aluminum wiring sucks
 

gm280

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If I had a schematic I might be able to figure it out, but just don't know if its really worth it, as before just don't like giving up on something

I honestly understand what you are saying. Problem is, there are not one nice schematic diagram for vehicles anymore. You have to go to sections and see their questionable wiring scheme and try to make it interface with other sections. To get one large schematic diagram for any vehicle is never going to happen. But I would rather see one then the way they write their shop manuals.

I bought factory shop manuals for every vehicle I own. And even with them, you have to educate yourself as to how each manufacture wrote their shop manual to be able to use it. It certainly doesn't flow easily from one area to the next. And some times you have two or more volumes opened to understand where wires go to and from. :eek:
 
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