Mystery stall

Was at my daughters house last week and went to start my truck to go home and no go. Tried several times to restart. Sometimes it would run for a split second then die. Ran it on the starter to the top of a hill and drifted home. It started when I got home after bouncing up over a curb into the driveway. I thought that was probably my one 'free' start on a failing fuel pump. Ran all over town today, lots of starts and stops, all good. Stopped at my daughters house to feed her dogs and....no go. Waiting for my wife to tow me the last 2 blocks home and it started. Not throwing any codes. Quite hot here, truck was parked in the front with the drivers side in the sun. Any ideas? Not a lot of info to go on.

 

Forgot to mention, replaced the fuel pump halfway through my story~

 

Anything common about the truck each time it failed to start? Nose up, nose down, temperature, time of day, after a short run, long run? Were you able to confirm no pending codes?

 

check engine light?

 

Thanks for the reply. No pending codes. 35 degrees C, parked out in the sun flat ground mid afternoon. 20 k start stop run.

 

This might sound odd but try parking in a different spot outside of your daughter’s house. There’s a sour spot where I have to park at work, right next to a sign, that my truck won’t start until a few tries. It’s under some shade and I usually finish work at night, so no heat stroke. It’s just that one particular spot. I could park another vehicle length forward or back, and my truck will start fine.

 

Does it always crank?
Or does it fail to crank at times?
Is your security key light flashing in the Acc. Position?

 

Ya, point taken. No other good explanation for it. Sure glad I spent $540 on a new pump and wasted a day changing it. King of the troubleshooters! Not

 

Always cranks. Didn't look for the security light. Shit timing. I'm going back to work out of town Monday

 

Battery connections tight and tidy? My old battery gave it up on really hot day.

 

Ha! Just did them. The computer wouldn't recognise the sender in the new fuel pump. Took them off for half an hour and cleaned them, then re-installed. Computer says hi to sender and voila, full tank. ( was showing empty with the empty light on). I'm trying to figure out the age of the battery now

 

Just shy of 4 years old. OEM Toyota 84 month battery. Sits at 12.80 volts, charges when running at 13.75

 

laughs. What? A Bermuda Grass Triangle on that street?

 

lol dude seriously, I have no idea why. It’s just that particular spot.

 

Sounds like a job for Rod Serling ;-)

 

As i started reading I thought 'fuel pump' #1 answer. They can act all sorts of wonky.


I do remember in the '90s Honda Accords had a notorious main fuse that heat would affect. (park them in the sun and no start,
it was where you looked first after 7 years) Maybe we have another type that gets old and cantankerous.

 

Ya, I'm just going to live with it for now and try to park it out of the sun. Gotta 1000 km journey in a couple weeks. I'll drive with my fingers crossed ;-)

 

Oooh. I think I'd be trying hard to pin it down and parking in the sun as much as possible before then. Down here we wish in our hand for stuff and it never works out.

 

Hand wishing and some patience and listening carefully to what the universe is trying to tell me. And listening to all the smart folks here on this forum ;-)

 

Bad chip key if it wasn’t the fuel pump