96 Tacoma idles hard then dies

Hey y'all

Bought myself a 96 Tacoma 3.4L 4x4 in March, drove it from Seattle to Alaska in June but now having some issues.

Past couple days have been single digit temps (norm for the winter here) and my truck will start right up, but then idle around 2k RPMs and die after 5-10 seconds. After that it turns over but no start for a while, then starts, runs, and drives fine other than occasional lurches. Not sure if these are misfires, transmission disengages, or something else. Kinda just feels like the engine is being choked. A belt (not sure which one) often squeals when it starts, and sometimes starting it after it is warm is a challenge (idles at too low RPM and dies).

The truck had an engine block heater installed and has been plugged in to keep it warm. The truck is nearly always driven in 4wd on commute due to ice, snow, and hills.

Any and all ideas on what to examine/test first are welcome. This rig is still fairly new to me and I'm not super car literate, but repairs are really expensive up here so no better time to learn. The truck has 187k miles.

Thanks y'all!

 

Welcome !!

Does the MIL( Malfunction indicator light ) come on and have you pulled the code or codes ??

If it is on let us know what code

If it does not cause a code when was the last fuel filter change?

 

Thanks for the reply. There are no codes. Check engine light has never come on for me. I have not replaced the fuel filter in the time I've had the truck. That may be a good first place to look. From quick Google searches, it looks semi-straightforward and the filter should be located underneath my driver's seat, bolted to the frame. Does that sound correct?

 

That sounds close enough !!

Spray and clean things best you can.

They can be a real pain sometimes to break loose

 

Use a fuel line wrench would definitely help getting the nuts loose and when you reinstall the filter
I believe it’s easier to attach the top line first then the lower line for lining up the threads.
Make sure the gas cap is off so no pressure is in there so you don’t end up having to have the gas being forced out the line and have a container to catch the gas that does come out of the lines.