Toyota Repair: 96 camry wont start or idle without gas, mass air flow sensor, mass air flow

Question
Greetings Sir,

Perhaps you can assist me with my car problem.  I have a 96 camry with the 4 cylinder engine and 110k miles.  I drove it about 25 miles today to my mother's workplace.  I turned the car off and ran inside for probably not even a minute.  I got back in my car and it would not crank.  The engine is turning over, but will not fire up to life.  If I give it gas it will crank and run, but as soon as I let off the gas it dies.  I can slowly easy my foot off the pedal and the engine will slow down slower than its usual idle speed and run rough.  If I keep letting up on the pedal, the car dies.  It was running fine morning before I turned it off.

I tried a few more times during the day to get it to start without gas, but it wouldn't.  About five hours after the problem started I got my mother to turn the ignition while I pulled on the cable to increase the fuel.  I slowly let it go and the car continued to run.  I tried this before, but the car died on the other attempts.  I drove the car about 25 miles home and even had to stop at a few stop signs with no trouble.  I arrived home and cut the car off.  I tried the ignition again and the car started fine.  I turned the car off and tried it again and the car would not start.

The "Check Engine" light never came on, but it comes on like it's supposed to with all the other warning lights when you turn the key.  The hoses all looked to be in good shape and I didn't see any loose/free ones.  I tried to listen for a hiss sound while pulling on the cable, but don't think I heard one.  What faint noise I did hear I think might have just been the alternator belt.

I called one mechanic and he won't be able to look at it for several days, but suggested someone look at the "solenoid that controls the air intake" around the throttle body.  Another mechanic that does great on US cars, but doesn't touch foreign cars suggested it might be the Mass Air Flow sensor.  Can you help me figure out my problem and how to fix it?

Thanks in advance,
John

Answer
A very common problem on camrys is that the idle speed control(ISC)or sometimes called the idle air control valve is sticking because of excessive carbon deposits, the best solution is to replace this valve, it's located on the throttle body which has to be removed from the intake in order to replace the valve, I'm very confident that doing so will correct the problem.