5VZ-FE 3.4L V6 reliability problem Please HELP

New here guys and gals and I know I'm not the first to have this problem but search as I may, I can't find the answer and any help is appreciated.
SPECS:
2004 Tacoma 4x4 extra cab manual trans 5VZ-FE 3.4L V6.
63 y.o. guy probably posted to the wrong thread

Problem is hard to explain.
I can run around town like back and forth to work less than 5 miles and she all good.
Make multiple trips around town in an hour or so and she starts to stumble.
Fires stumbles and dies like no fuel or not enough.
I can get on the freeway (cold) and run her until I need gas and she runs real strong, lots of power. Get off the freeway and she may be dead by the time I hit the stop sign at the end of the off ramp.
I've found when this happens and I can get her started again, if I can keep the RPM's above say 1500 shes all good but that's hard to do in stop and go traffic as you might imagine (clutch foot working the brake while in neutral).
Replaced the throttle body thinking it was the throttle position sensor (TPS).The throttle body I have 62020 the TPS is not replaceable so 700 bones later here I am. This trucks been a rock since I got her in 2010 mileage is around 220,000, shes middle aged.
P.S never had a Check Engine light come on either.

 

Fuel pump? Fuel filter? Has either ever been changed?

 

Normal cold starts but struggling warm starts generally points to leaky injectors...when the truck has been running the leaky injectors prevent it from starting up or make it run rough...if it's been sitting long enough to cool down the fuel from the leaky injectors has time to evaporate and the truck starts normally.

Just a thought, I haven't experienced this myself but have seen some threads on here about it. I think @ThunderOne had to get his injectors replaced? Or maybe I'm thinking of someone else

 

Not in our time together, that was my second thought after the throttle body, but why she run so good on the highway then, she getting plenty of fuel at higher speeds and RPM's.

 

Thanks eon_blue hadn't thought of that will check that out. Guess a fuel pressure check is in order.
Do you remember if he had to replace the injectors or just the O rings

 

You would have to do the injectors themselves as well as the new o-rings. Injectors arent cheap, if you can live with some downtime there are companies that will clean and test for you.

 

i would have battery tested.

 

Your title is blasphemy!!

With no CEL I'm thinking electrical like @thenodnarb. Another thing is get it obd2 scanned anyhow cause maybe there is a two-trip logic code in there that never gets to the second trip event within the critiria window. Or heck the bulb is out (check if it lights up when u start the truck). With having tuned a few piggybacks I've found that the 5vz can run really smooth even at extreme air fuels be it rich or lean, so idle quality is not a good indicator sometimes.

 

That's what I was afraid of but prices are all over the place for them. Found these on ebay but go back to the thought "if it sounds to good to be true..."
Thanks for your help

 

Thanks thenodnarb
just put a new one in 10 months ago but it could be a lemon

 

LOL... your are right BlackSportD probably should have chosen the title more carefully so as not to offend. CEL works fine when I turn the key on.
Will get a scan and battery check (good thoughts)
It's not an Idle problem I'm dealing with, the truck dies. When it happens after a bit longer cranking than normal she fires but never gets above 500 RPM sputtering and then dies again maybe 2 or 3 seconds later. Then it's like ground hog day, happens over and over until it fires above 500 and a half mile of traffic behind me. Then I have to keep the RPM's up above 1000 to limp home.
Got new plugs, wires and fuel filter will try those next it's time anyway and report back to the thread.
Thanks for the input

 

Avoid the "new" ebay injectors with the mfg name ground off. Complete waste of money

 

Second that! No way those are new OEM, there are a ton of Chinese knockoffs on eBay, google it, lots of problems there!

 

Same with MAF and O2 sensors...lots of fake "Denso" sensors on ebay and Amazon. Best to get stuff like that from the dealer or local auto parts stores

 

Shoot has it spread to Amazon now? Used to be relatively safe there! The Internet needs a Denso factory direct outlet!

 

I've heard horror stories yeah, probably not Prime related items but non Prime or 3rd party can be suspect

 

Yeah some of them are obvious knockoffs but I have had good luck with the Prime stuff direct from Amazon (not a marketplace seller)...

 

I know 03-04 (4 prong) had issues with the tps sensors. Also worth checking that out.

 

A stab in the dark... get a can of Mass Air Sensor cleaner and try that and look at the air filter.

 

Amazon is compromised, even on things like quality computer brand parts being fake.