Yobroe

184k on the old 3.4 and it is running rough. The mid range is totally not there as well as anytime the engine is bogging down, like a hill, too high of a gear coming around a corner, etc. For anyone who is familiar with the Seattle area, I am going to Doxon Toyota in the morning for diagnosis. Anyone familiar with them? I am keeping my fingers crossed! This could get ugly...more to come.

rimpainter.com

Is the CEL on? (or has it ever been?) Go to Autozone and have it diagnosed for free...

PS: I think you posted this in the wrong section.

Elton

x2...

midiwall

Could be a lot of things... Some are ugly, most are not - Fuel filter, plugs, wires, MAF, air filter, bad tank of gas...

What kind of maintenance have you done lately? Do you keep to a schedule?

fwiw, Doxon's said to be very good.

Yobroe

My bad on the wrong section posting...apologies friends. I've had good luck with Doxon (tip-see Mark Swenson in service). So the saga continues:

I have done my own tune ups, but the diagnosis was that it needed a big one, i.e. plug wires, plugs, coil, pcv valve, and injector cleaning. Got the valve cover gaskets done at the same time too. Paid about $1.1k. Got the truck back and it ran great---except---after letting it sit for longer than 2 hours or so, it was hard to start. I called Doxon and they said the injectors are probably releasing fuel into the cylinders. I took it back in and they confirmed that I needed new injectors-- $160 a piece--OUCH! Went to the internet to find a better deal and consulted Downey. Downey does a fuel injector cleaning/rebuild for $39/injector. After describing what service was already done, Downey recommended I come to Yotatech, or TTORA to see if someone else has had the same problem.

Anyone?

Oh yeah...96 runner...no cel was on and just had the trusted folks at Doxon take a look (btw, if you are in Washington state, these guys give you a loaner car for free too---go Matrix )

Yobroe

(Quick question...is it possible to change this thread and put it in the right section?)

TRDatVT

I have my stock injectors from my 3.4... would think about getting rid of them for the right price... They have 63,000 miles on them and probably need a seal kit (about 5 bucks per injector), let me know!

Yobroe

I appreciate that offer. I will try to get mine fixed if possible,but I may look at buying yours and having them rebuilt at Downey for $39/piece to make sure. Where are you located?

I'm just not sure that this is an injector problem.

TRDatVT

Blacksburg, VA at Virginia Tech... I had intended to keep them so let me know!

midiwall

Ummm... Downey's rebuilding injectors? And for $40 each? OUCH! For $240 you guy by a new set!


Have you seen my write-up on WitchHunter?

https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f39/witchhunter-performance-92823/

Yobroe

I've read your post now! Thank you Midi...Gordon said he is actually working on some stuff for you right now. Doxon is pulling the injectors in the morning and I'll have Witchhunter take a look tomorrow...more to come and thanks again!

midiwall

Yeah, he's got my 370's while my engine's in pieces.

design311

For what it's worth...my 98 Tacoma with the 3.4 did the same thing once. Turned out to be the timing belt. The belt stretched just enough to let it slip a tooth or two out of time. Had it redone at Toyota under warranty. Might check the timing.

Yobroe

Thanks. I really appreciate everyone who chimes in on this...since...who knows?

Yobroe

Midiwall, you have saved me a lot of money man. Gordon knows what he is doing and I would recommend him to anyone. I'll follow the thread you started with my own write up. Thanks again for the recommendation!

midiwall

My pleasure man! Great story btw, VERY cool that things worked out like that!

ref: https://www.yotatech.com/forums/showthread.php?t=92823

Yobroe

(Some of this is copied from a write up for Witchhunter's injector cleaning, and then the rest of the story about Doxon Toyota is added).

I took my truck in when it was running bad and paid the dealership over $700 to clean my injectors. When I got the truck back, it was hard to start but ran well. So I went back to the dealership and they said I needed new injectors. I posted a "what do I do know?" question on Yotatech and Mark told me about Witchhunter (Gordon). I got the injectors pulled and had Gordon take a look. Gordon is a very detailed oriented guy. Like Mark said, his shop is very clean and organized. Gordon's backround is in engineering and I believe he does over 200 injectors a week. Everything from Lamborghini's to GM. Like Mark, I was lucky enough to live in the area and had the pleasure of meeting Gordon face to face. Boy, if you can experience that...do it. You will learn everything you want to know about injectors, fuel pressure, etc.

Anyway, Gordon called back within a couple hours after I dropped them off. The report was "they are good". Passed all the tests he threw at them. By the way, Gordon tests injectors in ways others don't. I'll let him tell you how. To make a long story a bit shorter, by having a second opinion, and Gordon's willingness to talk to the dealership directly about his findings, I was able to get my repairs done for free, rather than paying over $900 for new. He wouldn't accept payment either. That's his policy...if the injectors aren't bad, he doesn't charge you. His rates now are $15/injector cleaned, but he is likely to raise his rates soon. The only other company I've seen that performs this service (Downey) charges $30/injector and they send them out to a 3rd party company. Downey also claims to "rebuild" injectors, so you may think it's worth it for the extra price, but there is no such thing as being able to rebuild an injector.


Doxon Toyota in Auburn really stepped up to the plate big time too. When I brought the injectors back, they sent them out to a third party injector cleaning company who also said the injectors were good. But, they didn't know any other way to fix the problem without installing new injectors. I asked what that was going to cost and they said they would be fair. After some back and forth conversation, I trusted them that they would be. They ordered and installed the new parts (retail on parts alone would have been $1044.48). I got the call that the truck was ready to pick up. I asked what the charge would be and they said "nothing". I couldn't believe it. A loaner car for over a week, new injectors and NO CHARGE? Wow! I would recommend Doxon Toyota in Auburn, WA anytime. Mark Swenson is who I've dealt with over the years. He is a good guy and obviously will take care of you.

Seriously, thank you to Mark (Midiwall) here on Yotatech, Mark Swenson (and his service manager) at Doxon Toyota, and Gordon from Witchhunter!

Cameron

rimpainter.com

That's awesome. I think I might have been the first to stumble on to Gordon's site when Mark and I were corresponding about his 312's (me buying them) and getting them cleaned. I am actually from Redmond (so I know the area) and as you know Mark lives there currently. So, Mark jumped into action and started staking the place out in more ways than one, finally coming to the conclusion that this guy seemed legit. We got the 312's done and that's all she wrote.

Due to Gordon's good service he's getting some of the best advertising around right now: word of mouth.

Good to know about Auburn Toyota too. That's pretty rare for a dealer to step up like that pretty much without being asked. Good stuff.

midiwall

Yeup... Like I say in that linked review page, Christian's the one that found him!

Yobroe

You know...when you think about how much this forum helps us and saves us money, we (I know myself for sure) should contribute more money more often to make sure we always have it at a resource...okay, off my soapbox.

Check this out- I turned my loaner car in last Friday when I picked up my truck, and it had a broken windshield. Yes, it broke on my watch when it was freezing ass cold, doing 30, and like a piece of sand hit it when I had the defrost on the "jet blast" setting. SOOOOOO....I get two letters from Doxon Toyota today, thinking one of them is going to have an invoice for the broken windshield (which I told Mark about when I turned the car in, but he said they'd probably cover it). Nope. One had the service document receipt stating and invoice amount of $0.00, and the other one was a letter thanking me for the opportunity to be of service, and if there was any reason I was not pleased with my service, to call to resolve my concern.

Again, kudos over and over to Doxon Toyota. I recommend anyone in the Puget Sound area to use their service department, make sure to ask for Mark Swenson (253) 394-0062, and tell them you got their info off Yotatech.