1997 tacoma started by itself

If the frame is rust free Ill buy it from you (;

 

Must be related to Christine.

 

Sounds like Maximum Overdrive to me.

 

ok. it is an automatic. it did it again in the drive but shut off before i got to it. 3 time now in 3 weeks...that i know of.

 

Maybe its time to take it to an automotive electrical shop

 

yesssssss! Although it was ridiculous that the people in the movie didn't simply run to either side to avoid being hit, haha. Especially when this truck backed into the guy. He ran in a straight line and screamed

 

I wonder is someone messing with your head??

If this is a electrical problem I can see it cranking till the battery goes dead or the starter burns up.

Start and run ??

Not only is the starting circuit being energized the ignition as well.

I really want to see how this ends.

If it does have an electrical issue why does the starter not engage when driving??

Yet it seems to happen when the vehicle is not moving ??

Is your vehicle over run with Rodents ?? Maybe the Rats making more rats is what moves things enough to have the truck start and run??

 

Would be funny if the PO had the remote start module or something

 

Unrelated to the OP's problem, don't leave your keys in your vehicle.

I can't tell you how many stolen vehicle reports I had to take where the now walking to work person says "I've never had a problem before" to explain why taking your keys with you is so impossible. My usual response is "Well, you can't say that anymore". A friend of mine was in that habit, took me forever to break him of it. Then one morning he calls to tell me his truck was stolen.

"I told you to quit leaving your keys in it."

And he hadn't. BUT, his wife, who was parked directly behind him, was still leaving HER keys in the car, that had his spare truck key on the ring, and there went a 2 year old duramax, her keys, and spare house keys. The keys to the house directly next to the vehicles. So now felons have free access to your house as well.


Related to the OP's problem, unless he's the original owner and knows for sure there is no remote starter installed, odds are there's a remote starter installed. Figure in 97, fuel injected and computer controlled. So the ignition has to go hot, starter has to engage, fuel pump has to start and stay on, and then the starter has to disengage in order to stay running. And then touching the brake pedal kills it. 97 to the best of my knowledge isn't a drive by wire, so something has to be coordinating all of that, and it sounds identical to the way my last 3-4 remote starter vehicles worked. My guess is there is a mystery black box under the drivers side dash that is either going bad and needs replaced, or is picking up a stray signal and in any cases needs to be disabled.

 

i found the mystery black box "sure start 433". so yes it has a remote start that i'll be getting disabled.

thank you to all that posted your thoughts. i'm thrilled to find there's a logical explanation and that it's not haunted.

 

Where was it hiding?

 

up under the drivers side dash.

 

I was thinking this had to be the case.

Then I was really hoping it was haunted !!!

 

If you pull the fuse for the box it should kill the remote function and not affect the factory wiring.

 

Thinking about it, how entertaining would it be to drive by all the vehicles I've installed remotes on and just start them up in the middle of the night. Boooooo, your car is haunted!