2009 tacoma starts up and then dies

This has happened a few times over the past few months. I will start up my truck. It will idle up and then on the way down it will die. Normally I have to be some where, so if I turn the key all the way off and try again it will start up eventually. Some times it is 4 or 6 tries and others times it was 30.
One time I was able to leave it sit for about 2 hours and when I came back it started just fine.

It first started about 9 months ago, and then the second time it happened was 6 months later. Now it is become more frequent. It did it about 6 weeks ago and then it happened Saturday and tonight (Thursday) attached it the video of tonight's happening. I also let it sit for about 15 minutes before I started it up. That time it died. Started right back up again and no issue.

Please take a look, ask more question and if you have any idea please let me know.


some truck infomration
2009 Tacoma Prerunner
2wd 97k miles
never ran it out of gas
only after market item is the stereo I put in about 5 years ago.

Thanks

 

Sounds like the EGR value is stuck open.

Same thing happened to my Durango. Easy fix. Remove and clean. If still does it them simple replace.

 

There is no EGR Valve.

 

I'm gonna guess TPS. I don't know, sorry.

 

Off the top of my head Id say fuel pump issues?

After watching the video I think I'll stick with my original guess. Almost seems like either your pump isn't pumping or its intermittent OR the pump sock is clogged so when you gun it its fine but as soon as you let off it clogs up.

 

What level is the fuel in your tank when this happens? If you don't have a gel cell battery, what is the water level in your battery? Also, put a meter on your battery, watch voltage before start, during starting, then after starting.

Could be a fuel issue like bad gas that had water in it and only comes into play when tank is low, or a battery issue or a charge issue in my opinion.


Edit

Is your coolant in your radiator low? Does your tailpipe drip water?

 

I thank the big guy in the sky everyday my truck doesn't have TPS sensors, lol! But TPS won't prevent it from starting.

 

Are you confusing TPS ( Throttle Position Sensor ) with TPMS ( Tire Pressure Monitoring System )?

 

Did you check your TCP/IP settings? Enable cookies?

 

oops, see that's why i'm not a career mechanic

 

Fuel pump relay would be my number 1 guess, followed by a throttle body and MAF cleaning. The fuel pump itself would be my next suspect.

 

I'm gonna add my .02 in and say its the fuel pump. When it heats up it shorts and dies. I had that issue with a brand new fuel pump in my WRX STI.

 

This is just a shot in the dark, but it happened to a friend one time. Truck was doing similar things randomly. Turns out his fuel gauge was messed up and when it said he had a 1/4 of a tank left it was really empty. You ever notice anything not normal about the fuel gauge.

Like I said a shot in the dark

 

Side note, revving an extremely cold engine almost to red line is not good.

 

Is it throwing any codes? Can you keep it running if you put your foot on the gas?

 

I think you nailed it. THAT is what I had to replace on my old truck then it ran like a top for the next 10 years.

 

^^^^ THIS!

My truck exhibited the same symptoms as the OP's and each time it happened I'd dick around with the fuel pump relay and it would restart. After about the 4th time I replaced the relay (October 2015), and it hasn't happened since. YMMV.

 

Here is some other information....It has happened a few more times since I posted this issue....and two times since last Friday..... It has always started up if it has been less then 2 hours since I turned it off. The last two times I parked it at work at 7 and when i left at 4 it started and then died. So I don't think it is anything getting over heating or needs to cool down.

It did it once with a full tank of gas, so it's not bad gas.

After it has started up, it has never died. It doesn't idle low and feel like it is going to die. It idles fine.

I had another person help me troubleshoot and we can hear the fuel pump turn on and off with the turn off with the on and off of the Key. So I don't think it is the fuel pump or the relay.

Two times it did this. I set a timer for 15 minutes. After that 15 minutes it starts right up. (That is my go to now. Just wait 15 minutes and then I get to leave work haha)

Today it did it and I took the Key in and out of the ignition switch about 10 times. and it started right up. No idea if this helped our not? So could it be the anti theft system? Everything I read there is that it won't allow the truck to start. But if going bad could it allows it to start up and then say Oh I don't see the "chip" any more and shut it off?

All the places I took it to tells me the same thing. Unless they can reproduce the error, it is just a pick and choose and see. But that could run into a lot of money.

Any thoughts?

 

Try a different key

 

Sounds more like a idling problem. First thing you need to do is start up the truck when it occurs and keep your feet on the accelerator at 2500rpm and see if it holds a idle for 15 seconds. Does it hold a idle? let go of the gas does it shut off? If it holds and idle for 15 seconds and as soon as you let go of the gas it shuts off then I recommend to perform a throttle body cleaning service and a mass air flow sensor cleaning service. Do not poke at the throttle body plate, best thing to do is have someone step on the gas pedal with the key on the on position but not running. Clean all the gunk inside. After the cleaning is done disconnect the negative battery terminal to reset the the computer. Do that first and go from there. 30 min service and the only thing its going to cost you is a $3 can of carb cleaner. Clean the mass air flow sensor with alcohol and a q-tip. Then go from there.