Need Quick Help. 85 4runner is very hard to start when engine is "cool". Replaced cold start valve last night and engine seemed harder to start this morning. It'll turn over and fire up, but cut off before it even gets a chance to idle. Seems like you have to do that until the engine actually starts to heat up from the excessive attempts. When it finally does crank you have to really play with the throttle to keep it cranked until it warms up to operating temp. To much throttle, cuts off, to little throttle, cuts off. It also does this in the afternoon when leaving work. If it hasn't been sitting to long and engine is still warm it will crank right up, but if it sits over night or while i'm at work thats when the problem occurs. Not sure how long its been like this as i just bought it last week. Was aware of problem but was hoping it was only the cold start valve. Any help will be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

Come on guys, no ideas? Started holding pedal to floor while cranking and it usually cranked after 3rd try. Didn't work this afternoon though. Took 15 minutes to get cranked. Noticed a few vacume hoses missing so my plan was to replace all this weekend. Any idea if that could be my problem? Also gonna change fuel filter. Hope I'm being informative enough. Any help is appreciated.

 

Try this:
- http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/CheapTri...shtml#FuelPump

 

Matt, did you try what 4crawler suggested?

 

Well first of all, thanks to 4Crawler for the help. I tried it yesterday when i was trying to leave work. Tried cranking truck for 10 minutes with no luck, so I raised the hood and put a paper clip in the plug. Could hear the fuel pump come on, walked back to driver side of truck and turned key, cranked right away. Went home and made a small jumper for it and got rid of paper clip. Waited bout an hour and tried cranking again. It cranked right up. Truck can usually sit for a couple of hours and have no problem cranking, so I wasn't sure if that had anything to do with it or not. Got ready to come to work this morning, got in truck, turned key on and let fuel pump run for bout 5 seconds, then turn key to crank and it fired right up.........but then cut right back off. And then I just had to keep messing with it. Only took about 5 minutes to get it cranked this time though, so its definitely an improvement. Just wondering how long I should let the fuel pump pressurize they system. Is it something that would happen immediately, or would I need to let the fuel pump run for a certain amount of time?

 

Pressure normally comes right up. I have a pressure gauge on mine and you can see the instant the pump kicks on, the pressure jumps from near 0 to ~30 psi. Could be something with the AFM or the Circuit Opening Relay as both those control normal pump operation.

 

Make any progress on this over the weekend?

 

Yeah, feel like an idiot. Cleaned throttle body and it started first try, as soon as i hit the key. It didn't even look all that dirty. I tried on three different occasions and it cranked well each time. This morning it cranked and ran for a few seconds then cut off. But it cranked back the next couple of trys. So this coming weekend when i have some time I think I'll actually take the throttle body off and clean it well. Then i'll try the sea foam trick see if that solves the problem all together. But thanks for the suggestions 4crawler and thanks for keeping up with it hub.

 

Yea man, do a good thorough tune up/clean up on that thing. It doesn't look bad from the road at all. Definitely has potential.

 

Well I guess I spoke to soon. Had trouble cranking yesterday after work and this morning b4 work. Actually had to result to starting fluid yesterday so I wouldn't be late for class. You can hear the fuel pump coming on with that jumper in, so I feel like its getting plenty of fuel. Unless the fuel filter is just clogged to death. But once it cranks it runs great. No hesitation, smooth idle. I just can't figure it out. Could the timing be off and that affect the way it cranks, but not the way it runs? I don't know. Its like if it sits while I'm at work or over night then I'll have trouble with it, but if it only sits for a few hours, like at school last night for example, then it'll crank up when I'm leaving. Also noticed a few vacuum lines missing, but can't really find a vacuum diagram that matches my engine. The diagram on toyodiy.com is the closest, but its only showing one bvsv and it looks like I have 2 on my engine. Don't know if they're both bvsv's but the look identical and they're side by side. The one on top of the Thermal Time Switch has hoses hooked to it, but the one on the Coolant Temp switch is not hooked up at all. Not sure if that would have anything to do with it at all. The diagram also shows Hard line piping for the vacuum hoses between the intake manifold and head, which mine does not have. So for all I know, some of the hoses could be run to the wrong place.