My girlfriend has a 2000 Camry LE 4cyl auto. It has been having starter/ ignition issues lately.
A brief history of the car. She has had it for 3 years and is financing it. She missed 1 payment and that is how we found out the finance co. has placed some sort of ignition lockout on it. I found that out only after replacing the starter.
The financier's lockout causes the starter to not activate when the key is turned... turn the key, lights come on etc but NOTHING from the starter. She made the payment, they pushed a button on a computer somewhere and boom, starter worked.
Since that time it has had a repeated issue which is becoming more severe.
Last fall, she had the tires replaced, when we went to drive home again, the starter did nothing. No dead battery symptoms, just no starter. We messed around with it for a bit, called the finance co etc. Finally resolved the problem by shifting to neutral and starting the car.
It ran/ started fine until about 2 weeks ago. She was stranded in a parking lot for about 15 min with the same dead starter issue. Since then it has happened 3 more times (I think). Now however, shifting to neutral does not fix the problem but if you wait 10- 30 minutes, the car will start..... WTF??????
There is a check engine light which pulls the same generic code for a loose gas cap (which has been replaced with non-OEM) as well as something about the carbon filter, but would that cause this problem?
Any help is appreciated.

 

Has your GF called the finance company and asked about this lock out device?

Would seem strange a device would be installed and the person buying the car not informed verbally plus in writing via the contract. Read the loan contract.

If such a device is installed find out who paid to have installed and who will pay to have it removed once the loan is paid off.

If shifting the trans to Neutral at one time fixed the problem look at the Park/Neutral/gear indicator switch. The location is on the trans housing behind the shift lever that the shift cable connects to.

This switch is between the ign switch and starter relay. This relay is not the starter solenoid relay but a smaller one. When the ign switch is turned to start, the starter relay powers the starter solenoid coil.

The next time the car does not, take a section of say #14 or larger gauge wire and jump between the large cable going to the battery that bolts to the starter solenoid and the SMALL diameter wire that connects to the solenoid. The small wire is connected to the starter relay.

If the starter now works, the issue is ign start circuit or this device is so installed.

What were the trouble code(s).

Could be a leaking gas cap (air leak) or an air leak in the fuel tanks emission system. Check for damaged, leaking, failed vacuum hoses, cracked canister body, etc. Or could be something else such a valve or pressure sensor. The canister is under the car in front of the gas tank. Looks square having vacuum hoses running to it along with wires.

If topping off the tank when fueling, this can set off a code.