OK... I sold my BMW to a guy in another city and he had a 1996 4Runner for sale very cheap. Carmax said they would give him $2,300 for it, so that's what he sold it to me for - less than half the Edmunds TMV price. It was easier than flying back or having someone follow me to the other city. I basically just bought it for resale but have been enjoying it quite a bit.

Here's the problem. In the morning, it starts on the first time. If it's been running and is well-warmed up, and you turn it off for 5 seconds, it starts on the first time. If it's warmed up and you turn it off for, say, 10 minutes, it acts like it doesn't want to start. Chugugugugugugs.... let the key off. Repeat until it starts. Absolutely starts every time, doesn't run the battery down. Local shops can't diagnose it until Thursday but my buyer doesn't seem to want to wait that long.

2.7L auto. 147,000 miles. The previous owner said it had been doing this for a couple years but hadn't got any worse. Plus look good, battery and alt are good, haven't checked or replaced the fuel filter which I will later today just because... I'll also check the contacts on the starter later.

Any guesses? Starter, fuel delivery or the coolant sensor are my guesses but that's a lot to just randomly cover!

Thanks for the help.

 

Replace the fuel filter and PCV and see if that helps. They will be about $20 total from your local auto parts store and will only take an hour or so to change with minimal tools or know-how required.

 

Might be leaky injectors?
Try a bottle of good cleaner (like Chevron Techtron) in a tank of gas to see if it improves.
When warm, hold the throttle wide open to see if it starts any faster.
If so the injectors would be my guess.

I very much doubt the starter if it starts on the first time when cold unless the solenoid is sticking....in whih case the motor won't turn over at all....just a bunch on clicks. Definately not the battery either.

 

might wanna rebuild your starter . or buy a new one , of course rebuilding it is the cheaper option , my 96 t-100, sort of did the same thing for a while , would act up when ever it felt like it , finally got it rebuilt and havent had any more problems .

airrikk17

 

I agree with MTL, there was a thread several months back about hard hot starts in fuel injected runners. If I remember right, when the engine warms up and is shut off, it will heat up the injectors allowing them to bleed into the engine. Then when you go to restart it, the engine is now flooded and you have to burn off the excess fuel before you can get it to start again. Now if only I knew why my carb does the same thing...

 

Well, I already sold the 4Runner... I didn't figure it would stick around long at that price in as nice a condition as it is in. Had two guys willing to take it as is for full asking price.

Just as additional information, I did replace the PCV, fuel filter, chassis ground cable ran about 100 miles worth of Techron and Premium fuel through it. I went to three diagnosis places that had looked at 4Runners before and two of them both suggested the cold start valve or fuel injectors were their guesses. I didn't have a chance to get it actually diagnosed as I sold it as is.

Anyway, thanks for the helpful tips. Hope it helps someone in the future that searches the forum for such a problem.