New Member -- Starting Problem??

New member because I need to know if anyone has a CLUE on this problem I'm having. I'm not the Mechanic -- my long-suffering BIL is but I'll pass on any information I get here to him.

'08 Tacoma PreRunner 168K miles. Absolutely no problems since I bought it 5/09.

January 17 it wouldn't start. Turn over & die, turn over & die. It was right after my son & I filled up with gas so we all thought it might be bad gas, although son's Jeep was running fine. It finally started after about 30 minutes with loud backfiring and rev'ing the engine a lot when it did turn over.

Put a whole can of Seafoam in the tank. Jan. 19 same thing. Thought it was still bad gas. A couple of days later, when I'd run 1/2 the tank out -- I filled up with Premium.

It was good until Jan. 23. Same thing. Dropped it off at BIL's house. He couldn't get the problem to repeat so I got it back.

Jan. 29 & Jan. 30 -- repeat. Took it back to BIL who cleaned off some kind of valve he'd heard could get gummed up in the fuel line or fuel tank -- not sure where. He Kept it until 2/4 -- no further problems.

I've had it since the 4th -- today (2/10) same thing. Turn over & die, repeat for about 10-15 minutes and it'll finally start. Once it starts it runs just fine -- no hesitation, no dying at stop signs, etc. Rev it up, give it lots of gas lots of times, keep trying -- and it'll finally catch and start.

Not the battery -- battery tests out just fine and son & I tried once to start it when it was doing this with a jump from his Jeep and it still wouldn't start.

Problem is so intermittent I can't get it to repeat for ANYONE. Even BIL has never had it happen to him.

Besides replacing the $300+ fuel pump anyone have ANY ideas? BIL and I would appreciate them.

 

Try another battery.

 

Try spraying some starter fluid into the air intake. If it starts with that, then you have fuel issues...

Paul