Car died

Asked by Bobbi Jul 18, 2016 at 01:31 PM about the 2003 Toyota Camry SE V6

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

Car sat 2 weeks at airport parking. Drove to 3 different location throughout
afternoon..no problems. Coming home from last location and engine light
came on along with VSC and TRAC OFF light too. At stoplight idling almost
cut off. Got it home and it will not restart. Battery new...makes sputtering
noise? I am on disability and cannot afford tow truck and dealership
prices..hoping to get some ideas ..

4 Answers

102,765

A bad wheel sensor, loose gas cap, or worn out brake pads will cause the lights to come on. Those lights should have nothing to do with your car not starting. Check your gas cap first. A no start issue is usually lack of spark or lack of fuel. You may also have an issue with your anti-theft if you have one. Do you see and lights flashing that have to do with your alarm system? If no alarm system, another possible culprit is a bad neutral safety switch. Try starting your car in Neutral. Also try holding the key to the start position while moving your shifter from N to D a few times. See if it catches and starts. If still a no start, I would try spraying some start fluid into the air intake and see if it runs for a couple of seconds. If it does, you have a fuel delivery issue. Post back with results.

It died twice today..I getting overheated. At Oriellys they connect diag tool and code was ECT sensor. Coolant was low in reservoir, filled that, let it cool down for an hour and started up again. Drove it 5 minutes and temp gauge started climbing. Once it his H, then engine lite, VSC and TRAC.OFF lights came on and 2 mins later car died. I had it towed to a mechanic. They said ECT sensor not working would not cause the car to overheat? They are examining all of the coolant system tomorrow. Will let you know the final outcome. With these high temps here in OKC..was not a great day for 2 car breakdowns...than you!

Mechanic called today..crack in radiator. Sigh...so radiator and thermostat along with ECT sensor I paid for being installed. Hoping this is it for long time in car repairs!!

6,020

Usually these are sweet running vehicles when properly maintained...and...they go for 200,000+++ before any "major" repairs are required. A cracked radiator usually results from a leak somewhere in the Cooling System.....which then results in an overheat...which then could result in a cracked radiator. Keep an eye on all your fluid levels under the hood and good luck.

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