I have a 1994 Toyota 4 Runner SR5 3.0L V-6 5 speed conversion still using the auto ecu and harness.

My problem started just two weeks ago, after a short ride with the family in the truck (aprox. 45 miles) we stopped at the store and looked around for about 25 mins. When I tried to start the truck it would crank and crank, but no start. I cracked the cold start injector line and I had allot of pressure. I didn't have any tools or any time to check for spark as we were picked up to go to a family function that day. So 5 hours later I went to pick up the truck and it fired right up, no problems.

I had been driving it for 8 days with no more issues until a Monday morning when I dropped off the kid at my moms and the truck wouldn't start, same symptoms(I only drove about 5 miles this time). I was on my way to work and didn't have time to mess with it. I rolled it down the driveway so I could use my moms car and decided to pop the clutch and it fired right up.

Yesterday in the grocery store parking lot (6 days later) after driving about 50 miles it did it again. This time I drove about 48 miles, stopped at my house for about 2 mins. When I got back in the truck it started no problem. I went to the store, walked around for about 20 mins. and when I tried to start it the same crank but no go. I had a nice gentleman push me with his truck, I popped the clutch, and away I went.

anyone have any suggestions or had this happen to them. I need help, I can't haul my kid around in 20 degree weather with this going on.

 

are you sure the clutch is all the way to the floor when starting. could also be the clutch saftey sw out of adjustment. maybe a dead spot in the starter. next time it does it give the starter a couple of whacks with a hammer handle or a screwdriver.

 

I probably wasn't clear with all the details in the first post. The motor is cranking over fine, it doesn't crank slow or anything. I know the clutch switch is working because when I don't push in the pedal it wont crank. It just wont start for some reason using the starter, but if I pop the clutch it will start. I am going to change the fuel filter today because it's all I have left from a complete tune up that included cap, rotor, wires, plugs, air filter, and a seafoam cleaning treatment.

 

I'm guessing since it will start with a clutch pop but not with the key, you have a connection issue in your key switch that's telling the ECU/engine the key isn't on when it's in the "start" position.

 

perhaps your igniter is wanting to die soon. hard to say.

 

sorry brain fart

 

I get those all the time, now it seems like my truck is too. I will try to check the ignitor, and I also have another ignition switch. I will try to switch that out to see if that makes a difference. Thanks for the input so far.

 

FYI: I've never heard of an ingnitor "going" bad; to my knowledge, they either work, or they don't...

 

I have the ignition switch, so I will do that first. I will probably only do 1 at a time so I will know what the problem was. I will try and check the ignitor anyway for a bad or dirty connector, but I am 99% sure that I have checked that over already.

 

I purchased a new CTS and installed that. I haven't had the starting problem since then, but I am not convinced that it is fixed, just waiting for it to happen again.

 

CTS?

Any problems since then?

 

It has been a couple of weeks with no starting problems since I changed the coolant temp sensor. I am still not convinced that was the problem, but it has not happened since then.

 

Take off the coil/ignitor pack and sand where it mounts. My friend had a similar problem and this fixed it. The ignitor on the V6 needs a good ground to the body I guess.

 

I'll try that after work, thanks.

 

This 4 runner is running great! No problems and it seems like a whole new truck. I found that my timing was set at 0 thanks to a bad timing gun. Something in the combination of the plugs, wires, cap, rotor, fuel filter, tps adjustment, CTS, and cold start timer switch has seemed to fix things.