Ok,I have a 91 runner 3.0 auto.Once in awhile after driving for awhile and I shut it off and go to start it again it will fire,idle really low, 2-300 rpms,then die.When I try to restart it,it will chug like it wants to start(tach won't even register) and die again.After awhile of doing that I can eventually get it running by feathering the gas but for a minute it will rev slow and stumble and puff a little black smoke.Any ideas?

 

black smoke is either oil or too much fuel and carbon output.. like flooding... have you checked fuel pressure? and what about your fuel filter?

 

I can't find the shrader valve to check fuel pressure.

 

I had a volvo that did something similar. It ended up being the O2 sensor had gone bad.

 

Could be the o2 sensor,clogged fuel line,filter,injector, egr valve or just some bad vacuum line.....No check engine??????

 

No check engine light.It does run good again after I get it to run.It has a new tps,fuel dampener,1 new injector,all new injector seals,timing belt.It doesn't do it while driving and it doesn't die unless I just started it up.

 

Well my cold star injector is stuck open causing it to flood.

 

How did you diagnose this? I am having the same exact problem, it's happened 3 times now. I just picked up a new fuel filter at the dealer hoping that would solve the proble. I am getting ticking and pinging also. I have newer plugs (10k miles) new wires, new air filter, and only 40,000 miles on the engine! It runs worse than my truck of the same vintage (92) with 230k on it! no joke. This "one-owner dream car with only 22k on it" in april of this year I bought from a dealer who got it on trade in from a guy who also serviced it there (which was nice to have all the documentation on repairs) has become a nightmare in the way it runs. The guy only lived 8 miles from his work, and was out of the country for three months, back for one month for the 12 years he owned the vehicle. I think this was not good for the vehicle, because even when he was home to drive it, it never really even warmed up properly on his short drive to work.
sorry for the rant....It gets me all fired up to think of how this thing SHOULD run.

 

I actually got tired of trying so I took it to the dealer and payed 44.50 to get the diagnosis.My dash pot was also stuck causing the fluctuating idle,so they fixed that and now I have to put the new cold start injector in.This 91 is the same way,I payed $5,000 for it and have put well over $2,000 in repairs into it.Water pump,tensioner pully,timing belt,injector,injector seals,fuel dampner,brakes,etc...Our 87 with 240,000 on it has only had to have the alternator replaced in the last 4 years.

 

This is quite a common problem on the 3.0L motor.
I would not be surprised in the least if that was the cause of the problems.

 

How do you diagnose/test for/fix this problem? Any write ups on this? If there aren't any, someone please give me the test procedure, and I'll do one with pictures. I've got to get this fixed, my mileage is getting horrible...like 90 miles per tank less than normal.
Thanks!
Jason

 

Try unpluging the injector for a while and see if that makes a difference.

 

it aint the cold start injector,it only does what its told,its the cold start timer its in the water manifold on the rear of the engine.every time you hit the starter it resets,and squirts more gas through the cold start injector.

 

They said they tested everything and the injector was stuck.Something about it building up with pressure.Then when I picked it up they said it was stuck open.If it was stuck open then it doesn't seem to me that it would build up with pressure would it?I don't know exactly but thats what he said