hi, first time poster here:

I have a 1988 pickup RV Dolphin, 2.4L 22RE
i got it in 2017, it was in storage for a while, but now I have been full timing it for 2 years in February 2021
I've drove it from Tucson to Portland 3 times, including many mountain passes and logging roads
the machine has been almost errorless. I had a fuel leak on the rail that ended up being o rings on the injectors
it has new brakes, new master cyclinder, new pitman arm, new belt
most recently : in response to cold start issue: new wires import direct, cap, ngk plugs, new fuel pump ( denso ), new fuel filter

this summer I noticed a weak start condition start to occur. At first my hunch was the starter or battery but after i replaced the battery it kept on.. and the start issue is purely cold start related so that rules out the starter, in my mind.

Also this summer when doing long slow climbs up Mt Hood or in Bend, OR area I noticed once it got hot* there was a noticeable loss of power, almost losing all acceleration on steeper pitches. One time on a logging road, there was a last quarter of mile till camp when the road got steep and the Dolphin lost ALL ability to climb. That has never happened before, it was steep but not that steep and it was hot because I had been climbing. But even after letting it cool down it still had no pull on that grade. I had to back down a dirt mountain road in the dark with an incoming storm..a bit harrowing at the time. Also pings sometimes when its hot. Most times it got 'hot' was during hot days and afternoon climbs when the heat was the worst. Later I had the distributed adjusted to proper specs. * [Hot meaning just above center. In my mind anything too far above center means the vehicle is starting to loose the thermodynamic fight and is entering danger zone.]

As of this winter, the truck finally refused to start 3 days before New Years. This is an arizona winter btw which means that temps are like 40 degrees at the lowest and its still getting warm during the day...so no relative increase in cold conditions. I tried to start it a few more times , on different days but ended up towing it to the shop, because I was in a parking lot. Before taking it to the shop. I did replace plugs, wires, cap. The old plugs looked white and did not wreak of fuel after trying to start it. Which to me told me I had spark and they looked like they were running lean. After taking it to the shop, of course the vehicle turns over immedietly ( according to them ) and after that they had no trouble starting it. They guessed at the fuel pump and fuel filter and I let them do it.

After getting it out of the shop, it seemed to run fine but definitely still had a mild cold start issue. I was just glad to get it back and running at the time and I figured I would keep listening and learning as i went forward. I ended up driving it to Tucson, which it did fine on but after arriving in Tucson it suddenly started running like ˟˟˟˟. Once under the hood, it seemed the issue was a mis fire that only occured in a warm condition and at high revolutions. This was much worse situation than the cold start scenario but I figured the problem was also tryinig to reveal itself.

When googling the cold start condition the internet starts to talk that its a cold start injector related issue, which sounded pretty good to me. Super easy to get at and test. I took the cold start injector out of insert hole and visibly saw that it does spray. I did test resistance at the injector and the switch Injector was normal 2-4 ohm if i remember , the switch was high. A friend who flips auction cars told me resistance info does not condemn a part and isnt conclusive... and i lost interest in this avenue

upon more research i started thinking a mis fire was egr related. I started hunting all my vacuum tubes and did in fact find one tube totally rotted out. I was kind of excited about this because it certainly was conclusive. The hose went to the AS reed valve from the vsv. The hose was 4 ft long and Toytota sold me two 3 ft long sections, classic. I had to go to other store to find vacuum line connectors. Upon putting new vaccum hose in, it seemed nothing changed. According to the Chilton book, a way to test the egr was to give it direct vacuum and it was supposed to kill the engine..i tried to give put a hose directly on it from the intake but that didnt seem to change anything. THen I just totally unplugged the vacuum line from the EGR and suddenly the mis fire was totally gone, totally. I was pretty happy. Also a friend showed me you can just suck on the vaccumm line to give it vacuum and that totally killed the engine...which means my valve is good and not blocked with carbon , per the internet. But im not sure I understand what is happening still AND I still have this cold start issue. Is it EGR related? Should i just block off the EGR at the plenum? I do not need to pass emmisions because my vehicle is registered outside of the big cities. I have further inspected all vaccum lines and see no obvious issues. I dont have a vaccuum tool but considering getting one.

Thanks for reading my little 22re story

Brad

 

You certainly covered a lot of territory in that post, well done.
For me in the past slow starts or intermittent starts have been FPR related. The FPR has a check valve that keeps fuel from bleeding back to the tank. When that isn't working it takes a bit for the fuel pump to "pump you up" sorry old SNL line from a skit... anyhow, too bad the FPR is so dang expensive for such an innocent looking part.
Could be timing related also...
In theory, just like an old small block Chevy you should be able to just barely bump the starter and it should bust off... (start)
no kick back and no continued running once the ignition is turned off.

 

ok...i had fpr go bad in my jeep once...was a pretty easy fix...is there a way to diagnose or condemn it...im always wanting to find ways to further understand the issue as apposed to throwing parts at it but i guess there is always some guess work getting involved....
i also noticed this egr system and cold start injector system pretty similar to the 90s camry and camry parts are way cheaper...why is that...i have to wonder about how compatible? lol none of those parts are load related so idk why they would be different...but im just a guy googling ˟˟˟˟ on the internet.

 

It's not the FPR. The "check valve" 87-4runner is referring to is in the fuel pump, not the FPR. The spec "leak down" of that check valve is for the fuel pressure to remain above 21psi for 5 minutes. http://web.archive.org/web/201501160...28fuelpump.pdf (Mine leaks down to 21 psi in about 3 minutes.) What that means is that every brand-new 4runner has near-zero fuel pressure when you go out in the morning to start it.

Of course, you can check this yourself with a fuel pressure gauge. Unless you want to construct a custom permanent built-on gauge (Rad4runner has a write-up on his), you'll need a banjo-schraeder connector (this Actron gauge comes with the 12mm adapter best for the 3VZE; most 22re users prefer connecting to the cold start injector with a 10mm adapter).

It's not the EGR either, unless you have a massive vacuum leak somewhere in the control lines.

But having the ignition timing off will produce all those symptoms; I haven't heard that you checked it. The tool is $30, and the spec is on the sticker under the hood.

 

i had adjusted the distrubuter by hand while in Reno last year, but then paid a shop to use the light to readjust it. So i think it is adjusted properly.
A new denso fuel pump and fuel filter has been installed and the problem certainly has become milder, but im def not convinced it is gone. I just started it this morning with NO added fuel and it started fine, hmmm...

I love gauges and these cool ass fsm links. Im gonna keep this all in mind moving forward.

In my mind i wanted to link my mis-fire, which IS certainly EGR related, to my cold start scenario. IF egr is stuck open, that can create a cold start issue.
RIght now I have main vacuum line to EGR disconnected and zero mis-fire. If it is connected there is a warm engine, high rpm misfire. If i put direct vaccuum on the EGR, engine dies. Meaning valve is working but system leading to valve is a question mark still. I suppose I need a vaccum guage.

thanks for links, i think the problem is certainly being narrowed and just gonna keep looking and listening and maybe get some gauges for added info

 

Just to add my 2 cents, I had the same issue on my 1987 22RE pickup, and determined that the sensor for the cold start injector was not working. I thought that you could just call up Toyota and order a brand new replacement, but when the sensor showed up it was the senor right next to the cold start sensor on the front of the motor. I believe that this particular sensor goes to the ECU and has nothing to do with cold starting. On further conversation with Toyota is appears that the cold start sensor is not available any longer. I found that The Yota Yard in Denver Colorado (303-292-5978) had a used one that he had tested using hot water and a meter. $35 later I was back in business. The truck now just takes a bump from the key to start when it is cold, whereas before you would need to pump the gas to get it going like it had a carburetor on it.


Don't be fooled - this is not what you need - Mine had a brown connector on it.

 

The problem is that it may be more than one issue causing your problem, and when they are in multiples they tend to mask each other and lead to the use on the diagnostic dice. Just take it in small bites and whittle away at it. Sometimes I even will pay for expensive help when I just get stonewalled and want to give up. Keep at it and you will prevail!

 

Now we can locate the problem! (even over the phone)

 

I am certain that every tech-support department, of any kind, has a set of those dice. Specific to their type of operations, of course.
They must sell millions of them!


Pat☺