tmcswain

I have a 99 SR5 4X4. It is a V6 with a manual transmission. It has 183,000 miles. About 6 months ago, I had the battery, battery cables, spark plugs and wires replaced, upgraded to a K&N air filter, had the airflow system serviced, changed the timing belt and all other belts, replaced the master and slave cylinders on the clutch and had a mechanic look at everything to make sure nothing else needed to be replaced. All said and done, I had $2000 worth of work done. Before I had all that work done, I as having problems with it dying. It ran great for awhile. Now it is dying again. My mechanic cannot find the problem. Here is what is happening: Sometimes when we stop or slow down, it just dies. It doesn't sputter and the check engine light never comes on. It just dies. It usually takes several tries before restarting and than typically runs like nothing ever happened. There have been a couple times that it sputter after it died and died again. Also, recently, when I press the gass pedal, it hesitates about 1.5 seconds before acknowleging that I have given it gas. Since my mechanic doesn't know what to do and this is way above my mechanical expertise I thought I would ask if anyone has any ideas as to what is going on. Thanks.

Ron Helmuth

Well a few things spring to mind. Let's narrow it down to electrical or not.

When it dies do all the gauges and lighting die as well? If so I am leaning toward the battery cables-yes I read they were just replaced.

If it's strictly the engine dying then of course the old standby "fuel or air?"

I'd start with the simplest item-the fuel filter. Some say it never needs changed and that is not correct. It's a cheap, wise investment to throw on a new OEM fuel filter. If I am just way off base you have spent $30 or so and your filter will spew out black dirty fuel. Hopefully this was already done(?)

Otherwise I am leaning towards the fuel pump itself. It should be fairly routine for the mechanic to check your fuel pressure.

Feel free to post up in your respective sub-forum tmcswain so we can get some more opinions on this. We are here to help out. We don't bite newbies in "3rd gen 4Runners 96-02".

Welcome to Yota Tech. Let's keep talking this out and I am sure we will get your problem solved sir.

Also consider T4R.org for 4Runner specific advice.

tmcswain

Thanks. I haven't been on in awhile. I will try this out. Since my posting, based on some other advice, I replaced the trottle positioning senor and had the MAF sensor cleaned. Niether worked. I am thinking it is a fuel problem instead of an air problem. I will try a new fuel filter. And it is just the engine kicking out and mis-idling, everything else stays on, so it's not the battery. Thanks again for your advice.

tim