cylinders misfiring when cold

My 2013 Tacoma AC seemed to get the 'trac off' indicator on my dashboard whenever I started driving before my truck warmed up. Of course it didn't drive well when it happened. But if I turned off the engine, then restarted it, it would drive fine. I have one of those instruments that can tell me what is wrong, when I plug it into the port below my steering wheel, and it always said cylinder 2 misfire. I was finally able to afford a tune up a few months ago, replacing all my plugs and the cylinder 2 coil. It drove fine for the next 2 or 3 weeks, but then started misfiring again. I took it into the shop again, and they ended up flushing the fuel lines out with some product, which they said I need to drive a full tank with first. They said it would probably have the 'check engine' light coming on a bunch during this time.....it was actually the 'trac off' indicator that came on every time I start it in the morning still. Yesterday, I punched it as much as I could on the freeway or empty streets, so that I could try and flush it out more...don't know if that was wise or not, because the trac off light came on again, and said multiple cylinder misfires. I'm just wondering what could be wrong, since I had all plugs replaced recently? No wires associated with my truck, so it can't be that. Hopefully all goes well after the tank of gas?

 

When it is cold and you start driving are you driving aggressively before it warms up? By aggressively I mean getting high up in the RPM range?

Did the problem start after you flashed a new tune? If so:

Which/whose tune did you use on your truck?

Have you tried flashing back to your original tune to eliminate that as a possible cause?

"when I plug it into the port below my steering wheel" --> It is called an ODBII (ODB2) port.

 

Actually, after doing that whole other thread about this problem, I bit the bullet and took my truck into the dealer and paid friggin $630 for a full diagnostic. I know they only run around $230, but they had to do a compression check...and something else, I forget what. In the end, I need a valve job...after only 54,000 miles?!?!?!?? I had a floating rocker arm...cylinder 2 I think, which is where the error codes came from too. Checked around everywhere here in West San Diego, but I could only find people who would do it for no less then $4000 and I'd be without my truck for 2 weeks. Luckily I always noticed this shop near my home, that I couldn't figure out how to get to. It looked pretty difficult to access this place. But when I figured it out, I found out that they specialize in this type of engine work, and have been in business there for 28 years. The best thing is, after reading the Toyota write up and looking under my hood, the owner told me it would probably only run me around $2000, and I'd only be without my truck for a week! The are getting the head back from the machine shop today, and will call me with the details. Another best thing is, I can walk to and from this place. Less than a mile away.

 

Is the check engine light on? What is the full list of code #s present when you scan the OBDII?

 

Thanks, but truck is already in shop.

 

Cracked cylinder head! It actually was starting to show symptoms when I first drove the truck down from Oregon in 2018. I remember it bogging, now I know it was misfiring, a couple of times entering the freeway from a gas station or rest stop. No warning or error messages appeared at that time, but there was definitely something amiss. I just wasn't privy to any past knowledge of what it could be. I thought it was just my truck bogging. In any case....all the shops who quoted me for the first diagnosis of the floating rocker arm, and what the problems were that that created, were around $4000 or more. I actually found a shop near where I live, who when I took it in to them and showed them the Toyota diagnostic report, he looked under my hood at the head and said not a problem, around $2000, give or take. But when they sent the head to the machine shop, he called me with the bad news of a cracked cylinder head. In the end, it will cost me around $3700, give or take a hundred, to get it all done. Much less than the original diagnosis was going to cost. Truck should feel like new when i get it back...I have new injectors in it from when I was chasing the problem months ago,along with a full tune up.

And for any doubts as to the capability of this shop....they have been around for over 28 years.