Hello. I'm new here, and trying to help a buddy with his truck. We are both oldschool diy mechanics, and don't know much about fuel injection systems. I have read lots of threads related to our problem, but there are none quite like it, and all the acronyms and lack of info aren't helping me much.

So the problem. Since winter arrived, his truck has gotten harder and harder to start. To the point that when its 30f outside it could take 30 mins or more. Yesterday it got up around 50, and it fired right up. When its running it runs fine, no matter how cold it will start back up immediately, but if you wait a little while nada.

We replaced the distributor a week or so ago, because it was leaking alot of oil and hoped thats why it wasn't getting spark. Tried a new igniter as well, but it didn't help. He wants to replace the fuel pump, because he doesn't hear it running, but I've read on here that its controlled by the computer. Now after reading on here, it seems it could be a whole range of sensors. He's got the haynes manual for it, and I'm gonna borrow it this evening and look through it. What I was hoping to get from you guys is a list of the sensors (no acronyms please) and how to test them. We would sure appreciate it, he doesn't have alot of money and already put out almost $400 trying to get it fixed. Oh and almost forgot the whole time its been doing this no cel, so maybe its not even a sensor?

 

Pretty hard to trouble shoot an unknown engine ??

You sure you have the model correct ??

 

Sorry, but yes, it is a 1996 Toyota Tacoma with a 2.4l engine.

 

Oh, and BTW went by this morning to fill him in on the info I have found and it started first try! And it's

 

Well this afternoon, it wouldn't start again. He tried it every hour or so throughout the day and it worked this morning, but by afternoon it didn't. But in a possibly related incident, his key switch broke, so maybe that was the problem the whole time. Won't be able to find out much til we can get a new one in.

 

Well it wasn't the switch. I haven't had much time to help him til tonight. Something inside the cylinder broke, and wouldn't let the key go in. He finally got the cylinder out, and we've been using some needle nose to operate the switch.

The book seems to have most of the info we need for checking everything, its just a matter of finding it. So we checked the ignition switch, and it passes the continuity checks. Then we checked the EFI relay and circuit opening relay (I think it was called). Both have power, and both pass the continuity checks, when energized, as well. We also checked the blue wire from the circuit opening relay, with the key on, but it had no power. Not sure if that is because of a problem or possibly because the system is already primed.

We also checked the MAF, and it checks good. Checked all the fuses just in case, and they are good. We finished tonight trying to check the crankshaft position sensor. I was able to get a good ohm reading on it, but it was a pain to test, and we didn't try to get a voltage reading on it. So maybe next time.

Any input on where to go from here? My plan is just to keep checking sensors, gonna go tomorrow evening and grab a scanner from a friend and see if it can tell us anything