Start your engine

2013 Tacoma ltd. 19,000 miles. I have had at least 4 instances when it would take me more than once to start/turn engine. Time of year varied. Today, the maint req light flashed for the first time during this issue. I never play stereo or roll windows down without the engine running. Sometimes, I hear a fan noise while truck is parked in garage. Has anyone else encountered this problem?

 

Totally normal.

You're at 4500 miles since your last oil change. The Maint Required light will flash on initial startup, then at 5000 miles it will come on solid.
Change your oil and reset the light and it'll be good for another 5000.

The fan noise is the emissions system running a test on the evap system.

On the starting issue, it happens. Generally on mine it is during hot restarts... I'll hit the key and it won't start immediately, but since I expect it to kick after the first or 2nd crank, I let go of the key and have to hit it again.

Just hold the key a bit longer and it'll start every time. The Tacoma does not have the crank-hold feature that the Tundra and some other vehicles have. Don't know why... Tundra got it in '03 when they went to a pure "fly by wire" throttle. Tacoma never got it.

 

good gas? you got that 85 stuff ??

plus you guys are preatty cold at the monent, that can be a cause

 

What is the crank hold feature?

 

On A large amount of newer cars and trucks you can just quickly turn the key to start and then release and it will continue to crank until it starts, as opposed to holding the key till it starts. At least i assume thats what crank hold means.

 

I had that problem with bluTaco. On initial try it would crank forever and not start. I had to cycle the key to off and then try again and it would start. I asked the service writer about the problem and he told me cycle the key to off and try again just like i already discovered myself. It Stopped acting like that all by itself and I never found the reason.

 

Yup.

My '03 Tundra would crank for up to 10 seconds.

 

My 2013 does this from time to time, or so my wife says. Ive never had it happen when I drive but my wife said it has happened to her 3 or 4 times.

 

Thanks for all the good advice.