1989 toyota camry having starting issues
 

Hello, I have a 1989 toyota camry. Great car! It had a couple small problems when I bought it (broken A/C & trunk leaks) nothing huge, and it passed smog. After about a year my power steering fluid started leaking, but it didn't have any other problems. Then the starter started failing and I would have to hit it with a rock or hammer to start it, usually only when I had been driving a lot and the car was hot. Then one night last week my husband left the passenger door open and my battery died. We jump started it and it started, the person helping me told me to turn the car off and I did, the car didn't start again so we went to jump start it again with the intention of just keeping the car on longer to charge, the person putting the jumper cables on switched them on the other car (not my camry) killing that car's battery. We then brought another car into the mix first jumping the other car and then trying to jump mine. The other car started, mine did not. No response at all. We replaced the battery in my car, still nothing, we replaced the alternator fuse, still nothing. There is absolutely no response from my car, not electronically or anything, no lights come on literally nothing happens. What could be the issue?

If no other electrical problems and needing to hit the starter with a hammer the starter solenoid (bolts to starter motor) could be bad. The electrical contacts in the solenoid burn from arcing.

If no power to the car at all and still nothing when the battery is jumped or new battery check the battery cables, terminal connections at the battery which can corrode and chassis ground connection of the negative battery terminal. One of the large positive (red) battery cables goes to a fuse box, follow the cable to the box. Inside are fuses, make one is not blown. The fuses may bolt to the wiring thus don't pry them out as one would a typical fuse. You need to access the back of the fuse box to unbolt them.

Another large cable from the positive battery cable goes to the starter solenoid, this cable has no fuses.

OP here, I have an update to my car which I did take to a mechanic. They told me it was the fuses and replaced them. When I went to drive it home my blinkers didn't work nor my fuel gauge and temperature gauge or radio. My transmission was sounding strange and I had to drive it in the lowest gear with my headlights off just to make it up my hill, as soon as I put my car into park it died, it's been two weeks and it hasn't turned on since.

There could still be blown fuses or other electrical problems.

The trans has electric power solenoids to shift the gears, if no electric power due to a blown fuse or some other problem for these solenoids the trans could act strangely.

If needing to turn off headlights for the engine to run OK, the alternator could be bad, not putting out enough electricity or some wiring or fuse issue. Turning off the headlights helps conserve what power is left to be able to run the engines ign and fuel systems. The car could now have a dead battery.

Swapping the battery cables during jumping is reasonably common. The damage is typically limited to blown fuses and perhaps a damaged alternator. Since the engine did run it shows the engine computer is OK which is good.

Guessing the alt may be bad, damaged or other fuses are blown. The battery may now be dead. A competent mechanic perhaps one that does car electrical work should be able to find all the problems and fix them.

It is not like the car is now ready for the scrap heap due to mixing up the jumper cables. This mix up happens often enough and many do it yourself car owner/mechanics are often able to fix the damage themselves.