Toyota: Camry wont start, gearbox oil, mohammed abdullah

Question
Hi,

I own a '94 Toyota Camry. Yesterday morning before going to school, the car started without any hitch. I backed it to the driveway, turned off the engine, got back inside to get my stuff,
got back into the car, and it won't start! The
fan turned on, and so did all the warning lights, but just no crank.. absolutely nothing. The battery was working fine as the headlight would come on bright. Nothing happended even after quite a few tries; so I left it on the driveway and cought the bus. In the evening when I got back from school, I gave it one more shot and it started perfectly! It's been starting fine since. Any ideas what might have been the reason behind it's weird behavior that morning?

Some other things that have been bugging me: For the past month or so, whenever I turn on the ac, there's a low pitch 'grinding noise' that keeps coming from the engine area. I sounds like as if some bearings or gears are rubbing against each other. The ac blows ice-cold and other than that noise, is working fine.

The engine in general (even without the ac on) seems to have become noisier than before. In idle it's noticeably rougher and there are some knocking during hard acceleration.

I change the oil relegiously every three months and take good care of the car.

I showed it to a mechanic and his/their opinion was that it's the normal noise for an old car. But I'm the one who's been driving the car and I know that a car that used to be whisper quiet and smooth just weeks ago has quickly become rougher and noisier.

I'd truly appreciate any helpful suggestions. Please help.

Sincerely,
Mohammed Abdullah


Answer
Hi,

strange problem... the things I would check are:
Spark plugs
Fuel Pump
Alternator
Spark wires

The noise from the engine could be normal with old cars, but check all the belts, and oil consumption. Maybe the use of another oil will reduce some noise. Check the gearbox oil, too.
The knocking during accelleration could be the valves, the only way to find it is to have an inspection by a mechanic.

hope this help!
Regards,
Jack