Ranger Megan

Help!

I own a 1998 4Runner with 180,000 + miles...My truck is my bread and butter, particularly given the fact that I live in a very remote mountainous region where one doesn't want to get stuck because of car issues...So, I pamper my 4Runner...I give that truck more TLC than members of my own family. I treat her to fastidious regular maintenance at the Toyota Dealership (3 hours away)...They never fail me there...In fact, they've had to fix the many botched repair jobs that I've had done locally in the past...

My vehicle has been having starting issues (takes 2 tries, and works better if you "prime" the ignition with 3 turns of the key first) for nearly a year and a half...But she always manages to start...Sometimes with a cough-like shudder...In 2005 I had the starter motor replaced...So it wasn't that...The dealer diagnosed it as a faulty check valve in the fuel pump just a few weeks ago...We scheduled the repair for later this month (figured she's lasted 1.5 years, what's another few weeks?)...And then she broke down on me...That was break down number 1...

It was classic fuel pump behavior. Leading up to the actual break-down, the truck was running great...No funny business except with the starting issue...When she finally died, there was a lot of lurching/surging in response to depressing the gas pedal...As if the truck wasn't getting a regular supply of fuel...

Had her towed...To the nearest (and most recommended) repair shop...Told them the history and that I was scheduled for a fuel pump replacement...They ordered a new part, replaced it, and sent me on my way...Which leads me to break-down number 2:

I got about 5 miles on her before I experienced the same surging behavior when accelerating...As well as horrible idling (kept sounding like the engine was going to just die on me when stopped at an intersection)...Barely made it back to the repair shop when all the engine lights came on, steering froze, and the engine died. Got out, looked under the truck, and found fuel pouring out onto the pavement...The truck would lose a 1/4 tank of fuel before they got to fixing it...The repair shop claimed that somehow the mechanic had "crossed the lines and switched the return and vent lines" when installing the pump...Um, yeah...Don't really know how that happens...

So, I go back, and pick up my truck for a second time...Take her out for a test drive...And she still doesn't feel right. Loss of power, strange idling, something was off...Took it back to the shop for a THIRD TIME...Explained the rough running behavior and loss of power when accelerating...Asked them to re-check their work...

Came back to pick the vehicle up a couple of days later...Mind you they have now had the truck for over a week...The shop owner tells me that the engine was probably just running rich...Perhaps, he suggested, because there might be excess fuel in the carbon cylinder/cannister(?) because of the botched fuel pump replacement...He assured me that the mechanic test drove it and found nothing wrong...Which leads me to break down number 3:

I made it a mile from the shop before the truck started having issues...Again, felt like it was going to just die on me at intersections...Made it back to the shop, took the owner for a test drive, and voila! The check engine light FINALLY came on...He had his mechanic run the computer codes and it came up as a faulty fuel injector...

A new part was ordered and installed...My truck was returned to me for a FOURTH TIME...But she still didn't feel right. Took it for a long test drive, went 65mph up a long, steady mountain grade...No problems...BUT, at an idle, and particularly when in drive but stopped at a traffic light, there is a new vibration that was NEVER there before...You can feel it in your seat...In fact, grocery bags I had sitting in the passenger front seat were visibly shaking. I also noticed that driving at slower speeds (15-25 mph) that the truck feels a bit sluggish or at least, that it takes more gas to get her going at these slower speeds...I know, sounds weird...And then, when I hit 45-50 mph, you can feel the same kind of vibration as when I am at a stop sign in drive. Past 50mph, she feels fine. I have also noticed that if you put the truck in park and just sit there, "feeling" it, you can actually feel a cyclical surging vibration in your seat...Very slight, but it's there...Sort of a "rrrrrrrRRRRRRRRrrrrrrrrrRRRRRR" kind of a pattern...The RPMs do not change, however.

I am really getting sick of this, and have spent almost $1,000 so far in the past 2 weeks...I had another shop look the truck over and run computer codes, but they found nothing...And graciously didn't charge me for their time.

Could this be a transmission issue? Or perhaps something related to the botched fuel pump (and potentially not-so-good fuel injector) repairs?

Sorry for the epic length of this thread but this has been an EPIC two weeks!

BajaRunner

Sounds like you are having a heck of a time.

I am no mechanic, but I would continue to look into your injectors, TPS (Throttle Positioning Sensor) and your Idle Air Control valve. TPS's are cheap, and I honestly don't know much about them besides the fact that the 3.4L engines tend to have issues with it. You may want to do a search here and see what pops up.

The IAC is something that I personally had problems with...But, my problems were different than yours. I would still look into simply cleaning your IAC valve. Its directly below your butterfly valve/throttle body. Here's a thread on how to clean it:
https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f123...ac-pics-92286/

Also, try shortening up your post with your current problems, you'll get much more responses that way

dusty98

Wow, I'd agree with the epic two weeks!

I had a 90 4Runner that the shop pinched the fuel lines on and it idled rough, had trouble starting, and no power when you took off. They didn't drive the truck before returning it to me. From then on, every service they did a test drive afterwards.

Another car had an issue where it'd run fine, but wouldn't idle. That turned out to be a disconnected vacuum hose to the intake manifold.

Have you replaced your fuel filter lately?
Does the surging occur when you are stopped and in neutral?
If you to the back of the truck while it's running, can you hear the fuel pump?

Good luck and keep us updated....

BigBallsMcFalls

To the nearest (and most recommended) repair shop


LOL...you have to get away from that shop pronto

SoCalPaul

X2 on the Idle Air Control Valve.

raydouble

If it was mine I think I'd be looking into the fuel pressure regulator and actual fuel pressure output.
Also don't know why they wouldn't change the fuel filter at the time of the pump replacement.

Ron Helmuth

Well first and foremost lets all apologize for your truck treating you this way you most certainly don't deserve this to be happening to you.

Ultimately your trust in fixing the issues is going to come in a competent shop that I am sure we can help you find.

Fuel delivery and the injectors and the Throttle Position Sensor-all of these can be measured and 'diagnostic scanned'. If you are in the Pacific northwest you seem to have some friends already up that way.

Any competent shop would thoroughly test drive your truck once done to be sure it came up to temperature normally. Specific that the problems you encountered were somewhat intermittent-certainly mistakes maybe have been made....

So they connected the fuel pump lines incorrectly-flooded the charcoal canister return-and failed to replace the fuel filter.

Now you have a new fuel injector as well?

Guys anything else at play here? The canister is contaminated ? will dry out? ideas please

waskillywabbit

iTrader: (-1)

Not sure about the new ones but my 85 vented through the charcoal cannister and when I crimped my filler neck the other day with the bed off. I uncrimped the filler neck and it is fine now. Made a dang mess until I figured out what was wrong.

Good luck with getting your truck fixed!

Ranger Megan

Thank you so much everyone for your insightful suggestions...
Glad to know I'm not alone in this hellacious journey...Until now, I had only considered issues with my MAF, oxygen sensor malfunction, or choke-related possibilities...But it eases my mind to think that I may yet escape transmission issues by the suggestion that it could have something to do with:

"Fuel delivery and the injectors and the Throttle Position Sensor."

Another nearby shop tested the fuel pressure and found nothing wrong...It's got new spark plugs and wires...And a new fuel filter (supposedly) was put in at the time of the fuel pump...

I applied the "neutral vs. in gear" road test today...The vibration is far more resonant and noticeable in gear...As soon as you pop it into park or neutral it tones itself WAY down...

Hopefully my baby makes it to Carson City, NV and the best damn mechanics this side of the Sierra Nevada...

Thanks everyone for your help and advice...Will keep you posted...

Ron Helmuth

okay good to hear the fuel filter got done also.

Good luck getting it back to the mechanics you trust.