tombothetominator

Hoping to get a little input from the experts.

The symptoms:
- Over the past few weeks my 4runner has begun smelling pretty badly of gas, both in the cab and especially in the engine compartment. At first it was only every few days, but it seems to be getting worse, and now smells pretty much any time i'm driving. I'm thinking that gas smell is probably fairly dangerous... but that might just be common sense trying to whisper in my ear.

- It has begun taking longer to start. Nothing major, but every now and then I will have to crank it for a few seconds, let it sit, and crank it again before it will start. It isn't consistent, so I am unsure if it is related.

- For about a month and a half my idle, when the engine is warm, drops down to ~500rpms. Attempting to adjust the idle air control valve does not affect the issue.

- No visible fuel leaks that I can see.

- Very minor change in fuel economy, from 19mpg down to 17mpg.

- Unsure if it is related, but I have been getting a code 71 (EGR: Exhaust temp. too high) CEL for a few months now. I finally just popped a resistor in the connector to get the CEL off.



I'm thinking that it might possibly be the fuel pulse damper that others have had issues with.

So to all the amazing gurus on this site - does the damper sound like a good candidate? Any other obvious things that I should check?

If it is the dampner, what else are the common sense things to do with the plenum off without spending too much? I'm guessing both sets of O-rings on the injectors would be a good idea?

And since I'm a n00b on this whole tearing things apart, what are the things to watch out for when removing the intake plenum? Removing that looks like a serious PITA. Any shortcuts, or fragile things to watch out for?

Thanks for any help you can offer!

sincal

im not a yota guru but have you checked the injectors. Sounds like they are leaking too much fuel

904_runner

Edit to reflect my lack of paying attention while reading original post!

when my fuel pulsation dampner went bad, the screw fell out, which caused a fuel leak and caught my truck on fire.

the fuel pulsation dampner is located on the passenger side fuel rail under the plenum. If it smells inside the cab/inside the engine compartment i would guess thatt is what it is. Do not continue to drive imo without finding/fixing the problem, you can, but is it worth it risking it? You could also check the cold start injector, pressure regulator, etc....

as for the idle being 500, check the tps. That was my problem, mine is still out of wack a little.

i had the same problem with my egr, and i ended up getting a rich smell lately.

so if you find out what the problem is, let me know

904_runner

Here is a picture of where the dampener is located

tombothetominator

Sincal - I have not tested the injectors. Is there a way to test them without taking the plenum off? I'm no mechanic, so excuse me if this is a ridiculous question. I didn't see anything in the FSM for testing injectors, but I could have easily missed it.

Mike - I will check the TPS, thanks for the suggestion, as well as the pic for reference. I read about your fire, definitely don't want that.

sincal

I believe you have to take the plenum off. I have yet to have bad fuel injectors. It might just be the o ring on the injectors. Can someone clarify a easy way to test injectors.

904_runner

i think either way you are going to have to pull the plenum unless you can find the source beforehand.

tombothetominator

For anybody interested, it appears that the problem was bad gas. I changed filling stations and have not had a problem since.

FredTJ

Doubtful, unless you've described the problem incorrectly.
The only way that you're going to smell raw gas is to have raw gas (good gas, "bad" gas, ugly gas, pretty gas, whatever ) exposed somewhere, meaning a leak.



Fred

FredTJ

Gotta just love these goofs who booty fab their rigs instead of fixing the problem




Fred

tombothetominator

Well I will definitely admit the possibility of an unresolved problem that will rear its head again soon, but I've been about a month and half now without the smell, starting problems, or idling problems. And they all went away a few days after changing filling stations. Until it does rear it's head again though I will go on thinking that 'pretty' gas solved the problem.

But then again I'm just a goof who booty fabs my truck... so what do I know, right?

DupermanDave

Not necesasarily. I have the same symptoms (still. low idle, blah blah blah, it's the TPS for certain but I havent adjusted it yet) but previously, on one occasion, I had a really bad petrol smell. I had just filled up at a shell station and gotten the premium v-power gas. I drove the entire tahnk smelling the gas like it was a leak somewhere. When I refilled the tank somewhere else, the smell went away and I haven't smelled it since.

FredTJ

Well, you gotta admit that putting a resister in the EGR circuit to "fool" the computer is booty fabbing the problem instead of just fixing whatever was wrong. Not only that, but it's illegal and you've exposed yourself to the possibility of a $2500.00 fine.




Fred

FredTJ

Ok, let's look at this, logically, and see what you're really seeing here.

If you smell a strong gas smell in the cab and under the hood, even assuming "bad gas" (whatever that is and the smell is the smell (from the exhaust) of the bad gas burning, then that means, simply, one thing.
Exhaust fumes are getting into the cab and under the hood.
Regardless of the type of gas that you're burning (bad gas, good gas, pretty gas, ugly gas, small gas, large gas, etc. ) it's a very, very serious problems to be getting exhaust into the cab.
That can be lethal in short order.




Fred