Truck wont start when cold - its been real cold around here, in the single digits, and I went to start the truck today....and, it cranks and cranks and cranks but will not turn over - it is a push button start, so based upon reading all the cold start threads it may be the cold start injector? But before this, even when it is a little cold the truck needed to crank a while before it would start - started fine when warm.

But to complicate matters the truck died about a week ago - seemed like it wasnt getting gas, and I suspected the fuel pump, but when my mechanic went to start it, it started right up. (it had warmed up though since the truck died)

Further the truck is loosing coolant and its not anywhere on the ground -and there is some nice white smoke during operation. Now, I know everyone will say the headgasket, but the truck has a rebuilt engine with 3-4k on it - with a new head - but I am beginning to think that whoever rebuilt this thing didnt know what they were doing as evidenced in this thread from the previous owner: https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f115...ir-box-133168/



so anyways this thing is killing me right now....

 

the truck is an 85 4runner with 135k. about 4k on the rebuild.

 

To me, im not a mechanic by any means, it DOES sound like the CSI....maybe you need a battery will higher cold crank amps. Fuel filter dirty maybe?
Even if you rebuilt it, it still could be a HG if it didn't get put back together correctly. my '93 22re is losing coolant somewhere I cant see, no coolant in oil, vice versa. Perhaps the Intake manifold gasket is leaking the coolant. Or the coolant passage to the IAC is leaking into the intake.....

 

I am hoping it is the intake manifold gasket, and not the HG. - the fuel filter is new, the battery is strong (at least it was before I cranked it for ten minutes)

 

Make sure the wires going to the green and brown plugs on the front of the engine under the upper radiator hose are intact.

Rob

 

I will check that. I am hoping it is something simple.

 

I had the same starting problem with my yota, for me it turned out to be the solenoid, it started off cranking over but not starting then went to not cranking over and just ticking.

 

Well the reason I thought it was the CSI - Was that it gets worse when it is cold, and just plain wouldnt start when it got really cold around here....and that the PO hotwired a push button start and bypassed the regular ignition - which meant, based on what I have read, that the CSI was also bypassed.

 

ok update: Started the truck by popping the clutch on a hill. ran for about five minutes. started sputtering and then just plan died. Got it started again. Ran for thirty seconds or so, died and then would not restart.


this happened earlier this month, same exact situation - and my mechanic thought it was bad gas. But I dont think this is the case, and besides I have dry gas in the tank.

please help.


What do you guys think? fuel pump?

 

Air filter clogged beyond reason? A clog in the intake somewhere? Timing off? Clogged fuel filter? Maybe the fuel pump. If you rolled/push started it and it died, i think we can cross off the starter. still might want to look at the solenoid and the contacts on it though. what does the inside of the intake look like behind the TB?

 

Thanks - I will check the TB.

and what about the gas? the place where I filled up has a reputation (didnt know beforehand) for pumping bad gas - could there be water in the tank and it is freezing in the lines?

 

Im not a mechanic, and dont really know a whole lot, but my guess would be yes. It might not even be that its freezing. it could just not be combusting right. deff try another fueling station. to me it sounds like a clog somewhere. but thats to me. and im not a mechanic good luck

 

Thanks man -

update again - it warmed up significantly tonight - to around forty degrees (it was in the single digits before) and the truck fired right up and ran fine. did a little midnight wheeling as well and reved her good and she purred.

Its got to be water in the fuel lines then?

 

Well thats good to hear!
I dont know if this will work, but since its warm, take out the CSI, put it in some kind of little container or something you dont mind getting fuel in, start it and see if any fuel sprays out. Im sure theres an easier way to test if the CSI is spraying..but thats what I would do Oh and clog the hole where the CSI was with like some tape of something so un-filtered air wont get it.

 

I am taking the truck to my mechanic tomorrow to have him diagnose the mystery coolant leak. I will have him check out the CSI as well.


By the way awesome looking 4runner you picked up there!

 

Are you having the mechanic do a leak down test? or just visual? Mention the intake manifold gasket a possible culprit.

Thanks

 

The radiator cap may be passing vapor