Just a bit of background... I have a 93 4runner with 230,000km's and this is my problem which started two weeks ago....

So I just turned onto the highway and my truck idled right down and died. I was on the gas but it seemed like there was no gas going to the engine. It didn't shut right off... just idled down. I got over to the side and then it died... it would start fine... but as soon as I hit the gas it would rev up... then idle right down (even if I stayed on the gas) and die. After about 5 minutes of this... it started running fine. I started on my way home... then it did it again... almost.... it would start to die... so I'd change gears.. and sometimes that would make it all better... and other times it would idle down and die again. I'd be on the gas and it would start idling down ... then suddenly it would kick back in.... I'd accelerate again... then go back down... then kick back in. It was like there was no gas going to the engine.... Anyway after it shut down a few more times it stopped doing that and I made it home.

I thought it might be my fuel filter so I changed it. Didn't do it again until tonight... two weeks later. This time it was a bit different.... if i shut the engine off.. then try to start it a few minutes later it will shut down.. just like it did before. Its seems if I let in sit for half an hour or so it will start and run fine. Any idea's?? Thinking maybe the o2 sensor is some how reading rich sometimes and leaning out the engine until it leans too much and dies.

 

sounds liek an afm or tps condition... or could be coil related, or signs of a failing fuel pump.... can you be mroe specific? it could really be nay number of things....

 

A thought..., find your old fuel filter and blow it out to see what comes out of it.

 

I've seen water in the tank that would cause similiar symptons, but not quite that drastic.

 

I tried blowing through the old filter... and yes it was hard to blow through, but no crappy ÅÅÅÅ came out. I haven't been 4x4ing since it did it the first time... and I've been through about 4 or 5 tanks of gas so I don't think it could be water.
Anyway I had a very fun ride home from work today.. it died quite a few times.
Today when it was doing it... it was going right down to barely running.. and sometimes staying there... just barely staying alive for a minute.. then dying. The tach needle was sitting on the stopper just barely moving off it when it did. Re-started many times.. would keep doing it... then run fine.. get a bit more of the way home... then do it again. Thank god it didn't do it on the bridge or in the tunnel !! It doesn't seem to happen when I do anything specific. Just random times... sometimes sitting at a light with the clutch in... sometimes when I'm going 70 on the highway. Though... sometimes when I do re-start it will idle fine... and if I rev it up it will go up.. then come right back down and die

:cry:

 

O'kay, so now it sounds like you've got a loose wire somewhere, say to the TPS (throttle position sensor).

You should try to pull the diagnostic codes and see what the computer itself tells you is wrong with it. Just type "codes" into the Search window and you'll find all that you need to know.

 

i guess I'll have to take it to a shop then cause I don't know anyone with a code reader

here's a couple pics of my truck if you'd like to see it....

 

Well I did a lot of testing with meters.. wiring diagrams.. and jumpering circuits and I finally figured out the VAF is the problem