Loss of power after replacing injectors

Hello all,

Long time lurker first time poster.

I have a 2001 Tacoma 2.4l rwd with about 175k miles on it. This past spring it started sputtering and misfiring like crazy while I was on a small trip. It was right after I got gas. I pulled into an auto parts store and the guys there asked where I got gas. Upon answering they said I got bad gas and that station was known for this. Yellow heet and keep driving. I got home like that and it was a tiny bit better but I knew something else was up. After a ton of research I got to work. Cleaned MAF sensor. Cleaned throttle position sensor. Changed fuel filter. Changed plugs. After I changed the spark plugs it seemed to be running fine. Until recently when it got really cold.

I started it up one cold morning just fine and went to work. When I left work it started misfiring again. Back to the drawing board. After more research this problem seemed to be a clogged or bad fuel injector. Did the test. Yup. So I ordered new ones (supposedly oem) and replaced them and cleaned my fuel rail. No more misfiring but it hesitates to start (but does if you give it a little gas) and I certainly lost quite a bit of power. I wish this wasn't a big deal. But. I live at 8k feet and drive a 4 cylinder like an idiot cause that's what I have. So! Any ideas or suggestions?! Can't seem to find anything. Thanks in advance for even reading this novel. Cheers!

 

Where did you get your injectors from? there have been several users who have documented getting fake "Toyota" injectors through Amazon and ebay

 

Where did you get the injectors from? Might not be OEM.

If the fuel you got was indeed bad, maybe there's a possibility the filter in the tank that attaches to the fuel pump is partially clogged. The video below show the filter I'm talking about. Go to play time 27:17. This job was done on a 3rd Gen 4runner but I imagine it will be similar to your 1st Gen Tacoma. Getting the fuel pump electrical connection undone might be troublesome because you don't have a hatch you can pull to get right on top of it. You might want to get everything disconnected and then drop the fuel tank slightly so you can have an easier time getting your hand on top of the tank to disconnect the connector.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/GrzX_K-jcuo

 

Amazon... Uh oh.

 

So step one I should probably get some quality injectors from a trusted source? Where? My friend that helped me threw my old ones away ‍♂️ so I can't send them in.

 

Either your local dealer or a Toyota dealership that sells parts online. Camelback Toyota in Phoenix seems to be the dealership of choice on this forum.

 

How much were the ones you bought on Amazon and do you still have the vendor info? That may help us determine if they were counterfeits

 

The MIL blinks or illuminates when you're misfiring right? What codes are you seeing from an OBDII scan?

 

Please, Please, Please, PLEASE, do not buy brand new OEM injectors. You will pay an arm, a leg and maybe your right or left nut too. They are crazy expensive and it's totally unnecessary to buy new. There are businesses that refurbish them. The place I like is located in Los Angeles, CA called MotorWest Performance. I link the business in the video description below. Lots of people have used MotorWest refurbished OEM injectors with great results and it's a huge money savings. I actually visited this shop when I was in LA visiting a friend and the owner Martin Diaz is a good dude.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/N-lhZIWOkyU

 

Good point about checking the fuel tank. Is there a way that we can direct the OP to verify fuel pressure at the rail to identify a weak fuel pump or pressure regulator?

I've seen a lot of injector failures isolated to a single cylinder misfire or fuel leak.

 

I've never performed a fuel pressure test at the fuel rail or anywhere else in the fuel system so I wouldn't be much help. Hopefully somebody will have some suggestions on how to go about doing it.

 

I see Tundra people talking about using this fuel pressure loaner kit from Autozone. Will need someone who has done the test on a 2rz to suggest where to tap into the fuel system.

https://www.autozone.com/loan-a-too...F:US:EN:AZ:NL:1000000:GEN:ppjmid21181-8-11065

If we were talking about a 3.4L, I can see how this fuel rail banjo bolt pressure tap can come in real handy.

Thread about rail pressure testing using a banjo bolt. .

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/3-4l-fuel-issue.452218/page-2

 

It did originally and it was a cylinder 3 and 4 misfire. But this second time around I didn't drive it long enough for it to get bad and throw a code, and it isn't misfiring anymore.

 

They were only $45... I should have known better. The vendor is called Jem&Jules. Is that one of the ones people have had issues with?

 

I will definitely order refurbished injectors from them. Thanks so much for the suggestion!

 

This is super useful. I think once I put in injectors that I know are quality I will refer to this if there are still any problems. Thanks so much for the info!

 

The bulk of the counterfeits that I've seen have been for the 3.4L. When a deal is too good to be true on a critical part like an injector, it usually is.

 

Please post some pics of the counterfeits. I have plenty of counterfeit pictures for the 3.4L but none for the 4-cyls.

 

Hard to say, I tend to tell people to avoid car parts from places like Amazon anyway. Either you're getting Chinese counterfit parts or you are relying on Amazon (who sell games and books) to know exactly what parts fit your vehicle.

Stick to automotice specialists at least. Rockauto is good. Some parts IMO it's more important to go OEM (new or reman'd) like engine internals.

 

As soon as I get them out I will. They looked exactly the same as the OEMs that I took out to me.