mattbatson

Fired the truck up after it sitting for a week while we were on a cruise ship.
Drove it home from the port for about a 30 min drive, but stopped at publix while the wife ran in to get something. As I'm idling there in the p lot, I notice the engine seems to start idling a little rough. This goes on for a few minutes before I put it in gear and decide to move, at which point it stalls.

It starts right back up with no problem, and I drove it around town after with no problems. No check engine light came on.

Now, my truck has 220K miles and one thing I've never done is a valve adjustment.
However, power seems normal and it doesnt run rough upon acceleration and I couldnt get it to idle rough again for the rest of the day.

Just wondering if anyone else has had this happen to them and what it turned out to be?

thx

rworegon

Almost seems like a bit of coolant may have seeped into a cylinder. Check the radiator, oil dip stick, under the oil cap, exhaust....anything unusual? Any chance the radiator froze in the week you were gone? You might see if there are any codes stored that are not popping the CEL.

mattbatson

thanks. It is late now, but I'll look into that stuff tomorrow morning, and let you know how it goes

J2F42C

Have you ever cleaned the IAC/TB? You may want to try that if it happens again. Also clean the MAF, even if it is not throwing a code.

I had a bad spark plug wire when I first bought my 4 runner that caused it to idle rough but never stall. New double tipped NGKs and NGK wires and it has run smooth since.

It may just be a bad tank of gas. It happens. Run the remaining gas close to empty, then dump some injector cleaner like Lucas in the tank for the next fill up.

mattbatson

I have cleaned the TB. I dont know that I cleaned the MAF though...so I'll have a look into that.
The spark plugs are pretty new, just a few months, and are the type recommended on this board...also wires are new.

I would think if it was a whole tank of bad gas that it would have done it more than just the one time.

Do you think that injector cleaner stuff really works?

rworegon

Dirty/partially plugged fuel filter? Water/condensation trapped in the fuel? A bottle of injector cleaner (or Seafoam) in the fuel may help.

brian2sun

Valves are a possibility, but I wouldn't worry about that just yet. I think it's more likely something easier and less expensive because it usually is. Did you clean your IAC when you cleaned the TB? If not, you may have got that even dirtier. Like they said, Seafoam could help. Keep an eye on your coolant level. The overflow should be at it highest level when the truck has been running for a while so always check it like that. Do what the others mentioned too.

J2F42C

Matt,

Bad gas can wreck havoc on a truck. Been there. I got water in the tank from a loose cap on a Bronco, had to siphon out all of the bad gas. Like rworegon said, it may be a clogging fuel filter. I'd still run some injector cleaner for a whole tank of gas. My grandfather's best friend worked for Texaco and he said that to pass on filling up at service stations when a fuel truck is present; refilling the tanks causes a good bit of sediment to be stirred up in the tanks and some of it could eventually clog up one's injectors. It may just be a myth, to each his own.

You may have a leaky injector, but it is not throwing a code. Post again if it stalls more frequently.

$7 CRC MAF cleaner cleans the MAF well. Use the search engine for proper cleaning instructions....

etc.

One dose of injector cleaner wont clean your injectors. Its a long term deal.

Like others have said, clean the MAF and the IAC.

southern_X

possible misfire on one of your cylinders check your plugs